Graduation Awards, Student Speakers, & School Flag Bearers

What are Graduation Awards?

Every year, the School of Nursing presents awards to outstanding students and faculty at our graduation celebrations in May. Below is a description of each award and the criteria to nominate recipients.

While most awards are for graduating students, continuing nursing students will also be considered for both the Mary L. Keller Research Award and the Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award.

Congratulations to the 2023 School of Nursing Graduation Awards and Recognitions Recipients!

Spring 2022 BSN Graduate Raquel Burnham receives the Mary L. Keller Research Award from Linda Scott, Dean of the UW-Madison School of Nursing.
Spring 2022 BSN Graduate Raquel Burnham receives the Mary L. Keller Research Award from Linda Scott, Dean of the UW-Madison School of Nursing.

Undergraduate Awards

Below is a list of awards for which undergraduate students qualify.
Select the award tab above for information on each award and criteria for nomination.

Badger Future Nurse Leader Award

DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students

Ginsberg Family Award

Mary L. Keller Research Award

Nurses Alumni Organization (NAO) Pins

School of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award

Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award

Badger Future Nurse Leader Award

The Badger Future Nurse Leader Award recognizes a student who is an exemplary leader and embodies the ethics and values of nursing.

The award recipient will receive a certificate of recognition at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the Badger Future Nurse Leader Award.

Award Criteria

To qualify, nominee must:

  • Demonstrate leadership
  • Prepare, motivate, and impact other students as leaders
  • Participate in community activities and giving back to others
  • Mentor fellow students
  • Promote activity in nursing organizations
  • Make a significant contribution to the overall excellence of their school
  • Set a healthy example and promote a healthy lifestyle
  • Demonstrate a clear sense of direction for their future nursing careers
  • Be on track to graduate from a UW-Madison BSN program during the academic year the award is given

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement

The recipient will be selected based upon how successful the candidate is in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

The recipient of the Badger Future Nurse Leader Award will also be the UW-Madison School of Nursing’s nominee for the Wisconsin Nurses Association (WNA) Future Nurse Leader Award.

DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students was created by the DAISY Foundation to remind nursing students, even on their hardest days in nursing school, why they want to be a nurse.  It recognizes nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion they show patients and their families as they are learning what it means to be a nurse.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students will be awarded to two undergraduate students each academic year. Award recipients will receive a certificate of recognition, a pin, and a statuette at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May.

Due to the DAISY Foundation’s award criteria, self-nominations will not be accepted for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students.

Award Criteria

To qualify, nominee must:

  • Demonstrate commitment to compassionate care of patients and families
  • Make a connection with patients, families, and peers by building trust and respect
  • Advocate strongly for patients
  • Demonstrate exceptional skill
  • Be on track to graduate from a UW-Madison BSN program during the academic year the award is given

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement

The recipients will be selected based upon how successful the candidates are in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

Ginsberg Family Award

Every year, the School of Nursing awards the Ginsberg Family Awards, a campus-wide award which recognizes undergraduate excellence in leadership, service, and scholarship to students at the baccalaureate level. The award is in recognition of strong academic performance combined with outstanding leadership and service to the university or larger community. The Ginsberg family has chosen to offer these awards in honor of the late Dean of Students Paul Ginsberg (Dean of Students from 1970-1987) in recognition of his profound impact on the campus community. These awards will continue Dean Ginsberg’s legacy of transforming the student experience.

The School of Nursing award recipient will receive a certificate of recognition at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May. On the campus level, the award recipient will be honored during a reception at the end of the spring semester, attended by family, friends, and the Dean of Students, and will receive a $1000 monetary award.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the Ginsberg Family Award.

Award Criteria

To qualify, nominee must:

  • Demonstrate leadership and service to the university or larger community
  • Maintain a record of academic excellence
  • Be on track to graduate from a UW-Madison BSN program during the academic year the award is given

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement

The recipient will be selected based upon how successful the candidate is in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

For additional information on this award at the campus level, view the Undergraduate Academic Awards – Ginsberg Family Awards page.

Mary L. Keller Research Award

Mary L. Keller was a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing for nearly two decades. Mary died of cancer in May 2006. Professor Keller was an outstanding scholar and her ability to engage and mentor students in research was unsurpassed. The Mary L. Keller Research Award is awarded annually to one student in her memory.

Award recipients receive a certificate of recognition at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May, as well as a monetary award of $1,000.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the Mary L. Keller Research Award.

Award Criteria

To qualify, nominee must:

  • Be involved in research through the Nursing PhD program, the Early Entry PhD program, or the Undergraduate Honors program*
  • Demonstrate passion, integrity, and productivity in nursing research

*Both graduating and continuing students are eligible for the Mary L. Keller Research Award.

Nominators must:

  • Submit a statement of 250 words or less about the nominee that addresses:
    • The length of time you have known the nominee and your working relationship with the nominee (program/honors advisor, clinical supervisor, course instructor, etc.)
    • The reasons for nominating this individual for the Mary L. Keller Research Award, including insights on the nominee’s passion, integrity, and productivity for nursing research

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement

The recipient will be selected based upon how successful the candidate is in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

Nurses Alumni Organization (NAO) Pins

Each year, the UW–Madison Nurses Alumni Organization (UW NAO) honors outstanding graduating students by presenting them with pins donated by alumni of the School. Started in 1996, the pinning tradition illustrates the proud history of the UW–Madison School of Nursing and the strong connection alumni have to the School. More information regarding the pin tradition can be found here.

All UWMadison School of Nursing students, faculty, and staff are welcome to nominate graduating undergraduate nursing students for consideration to receive a nursing pin that has been donated by an alum. Pin recipients will be selected by the NAO and will be honored during a virtual pinning ceremony in late-April.

The NAO Pin nominations are collected separately from Graduation Award nominations, though nominations are typically collected around the same time. View the Nomination Information section at the top of this page for nomination links and deadlines.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the Nurses Alumni Organization (NAO) Pin.

School of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award

Every year, the School of Nursing awards the School of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award to a nursing student at the baccalaureate level.

The award recipient will receive a certificate of recognition at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May, as well as a monetary award of $750.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the School of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award.

Award Criteria

To qualify, nominee must:

  • Have a minimum nursing grade point average of 3.75, within top 5%
  • Participate in volunteer service to the school, community and professional organizations
  • Demonstrate exceptional clinical and course performance

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement

The recipient will be selected based upon how successful the candidate is in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award

Every year, the School of Nursing awards the Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award to a nursing student at the baccalaureate or doctoral level.  The purpose of the award is to help students become aware of the opportunities for publication in nursing literature and to encourage them to write for publication. All currently enrolled UW School of Nursing students, baccalaureate or doctoral, are eligible to submit their paper or manuscript, which is of publishable quality.

The award recipient will receive a certificate of recognition at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May, and a monetary award of $400.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award.

Award Criteria

To qualify:

  • Nominee must be the primary author
  • Paper/manuscript must be relevant to a topic of interest to nursing (examples: clinical topics, research, health care delivery, nursing roles, international nursing experiences, illustrative case studies, administrative issues)
  • Paper/manuscript must be prepared for submission or submitted to a nursing or health-related journal

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement
  • Paper/manuscript and the “Guidelines for Authors” of the intended journal

The recipient will be selected based upon how successful the candidate is in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

Graduate Awards

Below is a list of awards for which graduate students qualify.
Select the award tab above for information on each award and criteria for nomination.

Mary L. Keller Research Award

School of Nursing DNP Excellence Award

Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award

Mary L. Keller Research Award

Mary L. Keller was a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing for nearly two decades. Mary died of cancer in May 2006. Professor Keller was an outstanding scholar and her ability to engage and mentor students in research was unsurpassed. The Mary L. Keller Research Award is awarded annually to one student in her memory.

Award recipients receive a certificate of recognition at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May, as well as a monetary award of $1,000.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the Mary L. Keller Research Award.

Award Criteria

To qualify, nominee must:

  • Be involved in research through the Nursing PhD program, the Early Entry PhD program, or the Undergraduate Honors program*
  • Demonstrate passion, integrity, and productivity in nursing research

*Both graduating and continuing students are eligible for the Mary L. Keller Research Award.

Nominators must:

  • Submit a statement of 250 words or less about the nominee that addresses:
    • The length of time you have known the nominee and your working relationship with the nominee (program/honors advisor, clinical supervisor, course instructor, etc.)
    • The reasons for nominating this individual for the Mary L. Keller Research Award, including insights on the nominee’s passion, integrity, and productivity for nursing research

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement

The recipient will be selected based upon how successful the candidate is in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

School of Nursing DNP Excellence Award

Every year, the School of Nursing awards the School of Nursing DNP Excellence Award to an outstanding graduate student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. This award recognizes academic achievements in the program, performance in clinical courses, research interests, and/or contributions to the school.

The award recipient will receive a certificate of recognition at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May. All currently enrolled UW School of Nursing DNP students are eligible.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the School of Nursing DNP Excellence Award.

Award Criteria

To qualify, nominee must:

  • Have a minimum nursing grade point average of 3.75, within top 5%
  • Participate in volunteer service to the school, community and professional organizations
  • Demonstrate exceptional clinical and course performance

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement

The recipient will be selected based upon how successful the candidate is in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award

Every year, the School of Nursing awards the Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award to a nursing student at the baccalaureate or doctoral level.  The purpose of the award is to help students become aware of the opportunities for publication in nursing literature and to encourage them to write for publication. All currently enrolled UW School of Nursing students, baccalaureate or doctoral, are eligible to submit their paper or manuscript, which is of publishable quality.

The award recipient will receive a certificate of recognition at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration event in May, and a monetary award of $400.

Self-nominations will be accepted for the Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award.

Award Criteria

To qualify:

  • Nominee must be the primary author
  • Paper/manuscript must be relevant to a topic of interest to nursing (examples: clinical topics, research, health care delivery, nursing roles, international nursing experiences, illustrative case studies, administrative issues)
  • Paper/manuscript must be prepared for submission or submitted to a nursing or health-related journal

Once nominated, nominee must submit the following to be considered for this award:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement
  • Paper/manuscript and the “Guidelines for Authors” of the intended journal

The recipient will be selected based upon how successful the candidate is in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

Student Speakers

Every year, one graduating student from each program is elected to speak during their School of Nursing graduation celebration. A graduating student from each undergraduate program (ABSN, BSN@HOME, TBSN) will give ‘Remarks to the Graduates’ at the Nursing Baccalaureate Graduation Celebration; a graduating student from each graduate program (DNP, PhD) will give ‘Remarks to the Graduates’ at the Nursing Doctoral Hooding Ceremony.

Students must be nominated for consideration; self-nominations will be accepted. Once nominated, nominees must submit a resume and a personal statement that outlining why they are an outstanding candidate for Graduation Speaker and describe topics they would addressed in their speech. If more than one student in a program is nominated for Graduation Speaker, a poll will go out to all graduating students in that program to vote for one speaker based on the personal statement nominees provided in their nomination acceptance.

Ashley Fielek, a Doctor of Nursing Practice graduate Class of 2022, stands at a podium in the Auditorium of the School of Nursing, addressing fellow classmates who are also graduating from a Nursing Doctoral program.
Ashley Fielek, DNP’22, gives Remarks to the Graduates at the Nursing Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on May 13, 2022.
Graduating nursing student Alyssa Lloyd prepares to walk in the UW-Madison Commencement processional during the Winter 2022 Campus Commencement, carrying the School of Nursing's apricot colored flag.
Alyssa Lloyd, BSN’22, prepares to walk in the processional at UW-Madison's Winter Commencement on December 18, 2022, carrying the School of Nursing flag.

School of Nursing Flag Bearer

Every year at Campus Commencement, one graduating student from each school/college is selected to represent their graduating class by carrying their school/college’s flag in the Commencement Processional. The School of Nursing selects one graduate student and one undergraduate student to be the School of Nursing flag bearer in their respective Commencement ceremony. The selected students must attend one training session, scheduled by the Campus Commencement Committee, before Commencement.

School of Nursing students, staff, and faculty can nominate graduating students to be the School of Nursing flag bearer for Campus Commencement Ceremonies; students can also indicate their interest in being the School of Nursing flag bearer through self-nomination. Nominees, whether self-nominated or nominated by others, will be asked to confirm their interest in being the School of Nursing flag bearer by submitting a short statement. The awards committee will select one student based on the submitted statements.

Faculty Awards – DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty

Over the years of running The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, The DAISY Foundation has come to learn that despite the many pressures on nursing faculty, they have a profound impact on the future practice of their students. Many students talk about hearing a professor’s or instructor’s voice in the back of their heads even years after they have graduated.  These dedicated nursing faculty members often do not receive appropriate recognition for the effect they have on their students, on patient care, and on the professionalism of nursing.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty was created to recognize and celebrate the contributions faculty make to the future of nursing. One faculty member from the undergraduate program and one from the graduate program will be selected to receive the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty. Award recipients receive a certificate of recognition, a pin, and a statuette at the School of Nursing Graduation Celebration events in May. The recipients will be selected based upon how successful the candidates are in meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of the submitted materials in relation to the demands of the award.

Contacts

Academic Affairs

Email: academic.affairs@nursing.wisc.edu

Phone: 608-263-5202

Address:
1100 Signe Skott Cooper Hall

Morgan Lewis

Position title: Student Services & Events Coordinator

Email: mlewis7@wisc.edu

Phone: 608-263-5288

Address:
1137 Signe Skott Cooper Hall