2026 Faculty and Academic Staff Awards

Cody Marie Busch
Cody Marie Busch, EdD, MS, CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders department. She teaches undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate level courses. Dr. Busch earned her BSE (2006) and MS (2008) from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and her EdD from Edgewood (2021). She has been recognized at the college and university level for her teaching including being awarded the Graduate School Teaching Award (2021), the College of Education and Professional Studies Innovation Award (2023), being selected to participate in the Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars program (2024-2025) and numerous nominations for the McClellan Endowed Teacher of Distinction Award. Dr. Busch’s research interests include the use of simulated learning experiences in the classroom, interprofessional education (IPE), and acquired cognitive/linguistic disorders in the adult population.

Alaz Kilicaslan
Alaz Kilicaslan is an Associate Professor in Sociology, Criminology & Anthropology at UW-Whitewater. He earned his Ph.D. from Boston University and B.A. from Bogazici University, Turkey. Alaz teaches Culture, Medicine and Health; Topics in Global Health; Individual & Society; and Sociology of Money. His pedagogical philosophy, grounded in Karl Popper's critical rationalism, emphasizes cooperative learning and synthesis of theory with practice. He developed innovative assignments including "hearsay ethnography" and medical technology research that students find career-relevant. Alaz's mentorship spans from high school to undergraduate and PhD students. His research in economic and medical sociology examines topics including money in political organizations, immigrant healthcare access, and time pressures in medical care, among others. He co-chaired the College of Letters and Sciences' Inclusive Excellence Committee, leading creation of the Faculty Mentorship Program.

K. Praveen Parboteeah
Dr. K. Praveen Parboteeah serves as Chair of the Department of Management and the Director of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program. During the first half of his 25-year UWW career, Parboteeah was influential in business ethics efforts, including creating a student organization dedicated to ethics, curricular proposals in ethics, and organizing an annual Business Ethics Week. During the last 12 years, Parboteeah developed and now leads the only doctoral program on campus, namely the DBA. The program has graduated over ninety-five students shining in academia and industry. Parboteeah has won numerous teaching accolades, including being named the inaugural COBE Distinguished Professor, selected as the UWW Teaching Scholar twice, and nominated for the Roseman Teaching Award (in 2007 and 2025) and the college Hermsen Teaching Award. Dr. Parboteeah is also celebrated for his scholarly achievements, winning the UWW Research Award twice and reaching 10,000 Google Citations.

Daniel Kim
Dan Kim is a Professor of Graphic Design in the Department of Art & Design at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where he has taught since 2000. He earned both his BFA (1998) and MFA (2000) in Graphic Design from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Kim teaches courses in graphic design, portfolio development, and package design, emphasizing conceptual thinking, visual clarity, and professional practice. His research focuses on contemporary packaging design and visual communication, exploring emerging trends, materials, and production methods through practice-based inquiry. Before joining UW–Whitewater, he worked in digital and physical product design, packaging, visual communication, and UI/UX design for national and international clients. His work has received recognition from the London International Creative Competition and the Communicator Awards and has been featured in Creative Quarterly: The Journal of Graphic Design and exhibited nationally and internationally.

Ana Caballero Mengibar
Ana Caballero Mengibar is an Associate Professor of Political Science at UW–Whitewater, where she has taught political science and interdisciplinary courses across in-person, hybrid, and online modalities for over fifteen years. Bringing a cross-cultural perspective, Ana is deeply committed to underrepresented, first-generation, and non-traditional students — meeting them where they are while holding them to high standards. She was instrumental in developing the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree at UWW and continues to teach at its core, including the INS 473 Capstone. Holding a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northern Arizona University, she served as Director of the Undergraduate Research Program, leading the 20th Annual UW System Symposium for Undergraduate Research — the first held in person at UWW. She is the 2021 recipient of the UW System's Outstanding Woman of Color in Education Award and a 2026 nominee for the W.P. Roseman Excellence in Teaching Award.

Steven Girard
Steven N. Girard is a Professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where he teaches general and inorganic chemistry. He earned a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Northwestern University, and later was an NSF Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow at UW–Madison. Buoyed by incredible undergraduate researchers, the Girard lab at UWW investigates the sustainable synthesis of silicon-based nanomaterials, thermoelectrics, bioactive glasses and ceramics, titanium implant coatings, innovative never-before-seen ways of blowing things up using molten salts, nanostructured sensors, and flux chemistry. More recently, Dr. Girard has embarked on commercializing discoveries from his lab via his startup company Sea Change Silicides.

Dr. Jenna Cushing-Leubner
Dr. Jenna Cushing-Leubner is an Associate Professor of Multilingual Education at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She specializes in heritage language reclamation, bilingual/bicultural education, and sustainable multilingual approaches to teaching English as an additional language. Her research focuses on heritage language reclamation, participatory design research, community-driven educational change projects, and intergenerational trauma and healing connected to language and culture reconnection. Her collaborative and community-driven approach to research explores how heritage and ancestral language and culture reclamation can create environments to heal from intergenerational trauma. Her scholarship engages research as an act of participatory change-making that includes work with language and knowledge keepers from displaced and refugee communities who are designing heritage language, culture, and arts education in school-based and community settings.

Aditya Simha
Aditya Simha is Professor of Management at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. His research focuses on leadership, business ethics, and organizational behavior, with particular attention to ethical climate, ethical leadership, workplace (mis)conduct, and broader ethical challenges in contemporary organizations. His scholarship has appeared in leading journals including Academy of Management Review, Journal of Business Ethics, Academy of Management Perspectives, Group & Organization Management, Business Horizons, Journal of Management & Organization, and Nature. He is the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and several scholarly books on leadership and business ethics. He serves on the editorial boards of multiple academic journals and regularly presents his research at major international conferences. His work advances global scholarly conversations on ethical leadership, responsible management, and the ethical dimensions of organizational life.

Xiahong Zhang
Zhang Xiaohong is a tenured full professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Her research, “Traversing Medium and Reappropriating Motifs in Contemporary Art,” bridges traditional Chinese aesthetics and contemporary Western digital art, reinterpreting Eastern visual traditions through emerging media. Since 2000, she has exhibited in more than 100 national and international exhibitions across Europe, Asia, and the United States, earning numerous awards and artist residencies, with works included in permanent collections. Her recent honors include the Excellence Award (First Place) and Audience Choice Gold Award at the 28th Northern United States National Art Competition; and Second Place (Silver Award) at the Wisconsin State Art Competition at MOWA. Zhang has integrated traditional with digital practices. Her recent research further expands into AI-based creative exploration.

Edward W. Gimbel
Edward (Ted) Gimbel, associate professor and chair of the Department of Politics, Government, and Law, has been a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater since 2012. He earned his B.S. in political science from the University of Iowa and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. In addition to teaching courses in political theory, Dr. Gimbel contributes to the general education program by teaching CORE 140: Global Perspectives and by regularly offering special topics courses focusing on issues including free speech on college campuses and defenses against threats to democracy. In fall of 2025 Dr. Gimbel contributed substantively to the creation of a revised general education program in response to requirements imposed by Act 15.

Dr. Elizabeth Jozwiak
Elizabeth Jozwiak is Associate Professor of History. She earned her PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin Madison. A long-time faculty member at the UWW Rock County campus, she is currently the Faculty Senator representing the College of Integrated Studies and serves as the department’s Social Sciences Group Coordinator. She was recently part of the UWW General Education Working Group. In addition to service to the campus, she enjoys bringing history to the wider community. She is a member of the Wisconsin Labor History Society’s Board of Directors. She is also a frequent presenter in the Fairhaven and Cedar Crest Lecture Series.

Jonah Ralston
Jonah Ralston is a professor in the Department of Politics, Government, and Law, and he has been a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater since 2014. He earned a B.S. in economics and finance from Illinois State University, an M.A. in international affairs from Washington University in St. Louis, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Michigan State University. At UW–Whitewater he regularly teaches general education and public policy courses, and his published research is focused on science policy. Dr. Ralston has actively served on more than 20 different university, college, department, and UW System committees. He has held leadership roles as a community-based learning fellow, faculty sustainability fellow, program coordinator, and faculty senate chair. He serves on two city boards in his local community and is currently serving as the faculty representative for the UW–Whitewater Foundation Board of Directors.

Rowand Robinson
Rowand Robinson is a Professor in the Special Education Department and has been teaching at UW Whitewater since January 2001. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1999 with an emphasis in mild disabilities. His service work focuses on meeting the needs of students (k-12 and post-secondary), as well as individuals with disabilities at large. He strives to add value to the greater community, including the university. His commitments range across all university levels, including chairing the University Curriculum Committee. He also serves on outside boards such as the Board of Directors for St. Coletta of Wisconsin, which serves individuals with intellectual disabilities across the life span.

May Vang
May Vang, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the department of Curriculum & Instruction. She joined UW-Whitewater in August of 2016 and has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. Her work focuses on K-12 education, language and literacy. She is passionate about examining the role of language in examining how education shapes and informs identities.

Rachel Wood
Dr. Rachel Wood is an Associate Professor in the Department of Music at UW–Whitewater, where she has taught since 2015. She serves as Voice Area Coordinator and teaches applied voice, vocal pedagogy, lyric diction, and vocal literature. She has coordinated numerous visiting artist residencies and workshops. Dr. Wood established and directs UW–Whitewater’s Musical Theatre Day and Voice Academy, supporting outreach, recruitment, and community engagement. She also co‑coordinates the annual WSMA State Solo and Ensemble Festival, and contributes broadly through committee work, program development, and curricular initiatives. She is an active clinician and adjudicator for the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Auditions, as well as for area schools, and she presents and performs at local, regional, and national conferences. She advises the campus Delta Omicron chapter, co‑advises the Student NATS chapter, and has served in leadership roles on the Wisconsin NATS Board.

Rimi Zakaria, Ph.D.
Rimi Zakaria, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Management in COBE. A long-time faculty senate leader, she champions an organizational culture grounded in equity, collaboration, shared governance, and well-being. She has served as a University of Wisconsin System Fellow, a CATLST Fellow, and a Chancellor’s Strategy Consultant. Through these roles, Dr. Zakaria led curriculum development, professional workshops, and strategic initiatives that advance UWW’s institutional priorities. Her work emphasizes mentorship, tech-forward, and evidence-based practices to co-create meaningful learning environments and foster organizational growth. Her teaching, research, and academic leadership have earned her numerous campus and external awards and nominations. Throughout her scholarly career, she served as editor-in-chief, panelist, session chair, conference track chair, and keynote speaker. Dr. Zakaria is currently appointed as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in South and Central Asia.

Deanna Guthrie
Deanna Guthrie received her MSW and Ph.D. in social work from Loyola University Chicago. She is an Associate Professor of Social Work and the program coordinator for the Bachelor’s in Social Work program. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and prior to coming to UW-Whitewater in 2013, she worked as a clinical social worker for 7 years. Her research focuses on improving education and college success and retention. She has published articles on advising in social work education, mentoring undergraduate students, and how on-campus social support and hope impact persistence in college. She has also done numerous local, state, and national presentations on advising and student success.

Gina C. Martin
Gina Martin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counselor Education. She joined the faculty in 2021 and is currently serving as the Clinical Coordinator for the Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling Masters Program. She also advises the Graduate Student Counseling Association and has mentored students in research through her grant work and her involvement in professional organizations at conferences and through publications. Gina enjoys leading a summer study abroad program in Scotland, which provides students with opportunities to develop cultural competence and a global perspective on mental health. She is recognized for her relational, student-centered mentoring approach, offering meaningful engagement and feedback. In her free time Gina loves doing academic research and writing grants that will impact the profession and her community. She also loves spending time with her spunky daughter, her husband, and her sweet soul dog, Oliver.

Sharri VanAlstine
B.M.E. (Bachelor in Music Education) Bethel University-Minnesota; M.M. (Master of Music in Choral Conducting) St. Cloud State University-Minnesota; Ph.D. (Music Education) University of Minnesota. Sharri VanAlstine joined the faculty at UW-Whitewater in 2010. Her courseload revolves primarily around music education – teacher preparation coursework. Dr. VanAlstine also directs the UW-W Vocal Jazz Ensemble, an auditioned group that performs and presents frequently in the community and region. The ensemble focuses on contemporary a cappella literature and vocal jazz songs in a variety of genres. Dr. VanAlstine has served as a clinician and adjudicator at choral festivals, contests, and regional schools. She has received various awards for teaching, advising, and research, and her work is published in several music and music education journals. She regularly presents research and practical workshops at conferences locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Lauren Burke
Lauren is an early childhood special educator and a speech-language pathologist (UW-Whitewater alumni 2013) who is honored to return to UWW in her role as Academic Staff in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Lauren works with families across the state as a Birth to 3 Program early intervention provider, specializing in supporting babies and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Lauren coaches other professionals in the field as well as future speech-language pathologists and future audiologists in learning more about this relationship-based and important work. Highlights of her work include connecting families with supports/opportunities to connect with others, seeing the spark of new learning and confidence in professionals/students throughout the state, and seeing the littlest learners here in WI who are DHH thriving in their language learning journeys. Lauren continuously seeks out new learning and opportunities to collaborate.

Maria Glorioso
Maria Glorioso earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from UW-Whitewater in 2008 and her Master’s degree in Counseling from IW-Whitewater in 2014. Following the completion of her master’s degree, Maria held roles at Marquette University and UW-Milwaukee. However, her strong connection to UW-Whitewater never wavered, and she was determined to return. Since rejoining University Housing in 2018, she has worked in various capacities, including advising the Residence Hall Association and the National Residence Hall Honorary, coordinating RA training and selection, collaborating on learning communities, supervising Jitters, and managing University Housing’s marketing efforts. Maria is deeply committed to developing student leaders and helping them bridge the gap between their curricular and co-curricular experiences. Beyond UW-Whitewater, she is an active volunteer with the Girl Scouts and runs her own custom sugar cookie business.

Becky Mueller
Becky Mueller is the Associate Research Administration Director with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Becky has 14 years of grant administration experience starting as the campus Grant Accountant in February 2012 being responsible for financial compliance related to all external funding and many internal funding programs. Currently Becky works with faculty and staff to help secure external funding including proposal & budget development and grant submission. Agencies that Becky has worked with include the Department of Education, Americorp, Great Lakes, National Institutes for Humanities, Wisconsin Department of Health & Human Services, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Becky is a Certified Research Administrator who has received a B.S. in Accounting from Carroll University and an M.S. in Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Janine Peterson
Janine Peterson works as a Program Specialist in Student Services at the UW Whitewater at Rock County Campus. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from University of Wisconsin Whitewater in 1988 and her Associate of Science Degree in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin Rock County. Janine has been fortunate to have worked in manufacturing, product distribution, customer service, and nonprofit management prior to joining the staff at UW Rock County as the Financial Aid Coordinator in 2012. Janine currently serves as the Rock Student Government advisor, provides support for student organizations, chairs the program board to plan events, and serves on SOAR, Welcome Day, Commencement, and campus governance committees. She represents Rock on the Student Affairs Leadership Team and Wellbeing Unit Team. “I love this campus because of the opportunities offered to students and our communities. All my siblings began their education journeys at U-Rock. I am privileged to work with wonderful students, faculty, and staff. Seeing students achieve success and growth through involvement opportunities is gratifying and rewarding.”

Chris Skrandzius
Chris Skrandzius graduated from UW-Whitewater in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. Shortly after, he began working with IT Services, leading a project focused on search engine optimization. His work included enhancing Google Map listings with professional photos and 360° panoramas to improve the discoverability and navigation of campus locations. Currently, Chris is part of the Web Team, helping to maintain the UW-Whitewater website content and accessibility. He also assists the Help Desk & Transact Campus (now Illumia) in his role as Front-Line Quality Assurance, providing guidance and support. Chris enjoys working with his colleagues and contributing to the team. Outside of work, he spends his time building websites, working on computers, and enjoying time with friends and family.

Brock Splittgerber
Brock Splittgerber serves as the CRM Coordinator for Undergraduate Admissions and is the primary Slate administrator. He earned a BS in Spanish in 2017 and returned to UW-Whitewater in 2022 to complete a BA in computer science. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in cybersecurity. In his role, Brock focuses on process optimization and solution development to enhance the admissions process for students and families while empowering admissions staff to make data-driven decisions. He is a strong problem-solver who enjoys collaborating with campus partners on initiatives that support a wide range of student populations. Brock previously served as the Assistant Director of Admissions Operations at Northland College. Outside of work, he enjoys cheering on the Milwaukee Brewers, tinkering with 3D printing, and spending time with his wife and three dogs.

Dr. Ashley M. Dimmig
As the Crossman Gallery Director at UW-Whitewater, Dr. Ashley M. Dimmig oversees all gallery operations and stewards its permanent art collection, in addition to teaching art history in the Department of Art and Design. After completing her PhD in the History of Art at the University of Michigan, she worked as interim curator of Islamic Art at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Her field of specialization is the art and architecture of the Islamic world, including textiles, and especially Ottoman tents, the subject of her dissertation and forthcoming book project. In addition to many years of teaching, curating, and service in the field, Dimmig has been the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and the Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations in Istanbul. Dimmig also holds two MA degrees (from Indiana University Bloomington and Koç University in Istanbul) as well as a BFA degree from the Kansas City Art Institute.

John Klinger
John Klinger is a lecturer in the College of Integrated Studies. He teaches a variety of engineering courses and the New Student Seminar, manages the Platteville Engineering Partnership for UW-W, works with the Whitewater Physics Department to offer courses simultaneously on both campuses, and advises the Engineering Club. Prior to joining UW-Rock County, John taught engineering for three years at Pennsylvania State University and led new product development within a variety of industries, including computers, printers, surgical instruments, and robot vision systems. His students greatly appreciate that he draws on his engineering experience and connections to enrich his courses and support their career development. John earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UW-Madison and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Mike Stibor
Mike is a Senior Lecturer in the Kinesiology Department, and this is his 15th year teaching at UWW. His primary teaching areas are biomechanics, motor behavior, and exercise testing. In addition to teaching Mike also has served on numerous committees, currently serving on the Academic Staff Promotion Committee for the university, and the Curriculum Committee as well as the Scholarship Committee for the department. He has chaired the last four search committees for the department. Mike is also the assistant advisor for ACTIVE, which is the Kinesiology student organization. Prior to coming to Whitewater Mike was a K-12 Physical Education and Health teacher, teaching at all three (elementary, middle, and high school) levels at various times. Mike has been a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association since 1994 and has spent many years working in the fitness industry. He also coached tennis for both boys and girls for 25 years.

Dave Vosburgh
Dave Vosburgh is a lecturer in the Occupational & Environmental Safety & Health Department at UW-Whitewater. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Environmental & Public Health from UW–Eau Claire. Prior to entering academia, Dave spent nearly a decade as a health inspector in southeastern Minnesota, helping businesses and community members understand and comply with public health codes. Since joining the OESH Department, Dave has applied his education and the skills developed as a health inspector to teaching courses on air pollution, environmental management, drugs in society, and risk in daily life. In addition to teaching, Dave is actively involved in student development. He has served as a department and college advisor and currently coordinates the Occupational Safety Career Fair and advises the Student Safety Organization. Dave also recently co-coached the UWW Occupational Safety team to a third-place finish in its first appearance at the Safety Olympics competition.