Academic awards office raises university’s profile

With motherhood on the horizon, Julie Stubbs wasn’t looking for a new day job. But just a few months after coming to Madison, she found herself in charge of two major projects: raising a baby and running an innovative new office on an unfamiliar campus.

Since 2005, Stubbs has overseen the Office of Undergraduate Academic Awards, uniting local and national scholarship campaigns that had previously been scattered across campus. As UW–Madison celebrates its first Marshall Scholar since 2000 and its first Churchill Scholar since 1980, it’s clear that her efforts are paying off.

Raised in the Waukesha area, Stubbs and her spouse returned to Wisconsin after both completed doctoral studies. Though she hadn’t planned on finding a job right away, she was intrigued by the announcement for the director of the Office of Undergraduate Awards, not yet a physical entity. The combination of responsibilities and opportunities seemed like a perfect fit.

“I was seven months pregnant and didn’t really expect anyone to hire me, so I started to just do some research into what other universities had done in establishing these offices,” Stubbs recalls. “It was really fun to look into the possibilities: working directly with students, helping them see what’s possible in their lives and even expanding the realm of the possible. When the hiring committee offered me this job, I thought, ‘Wow, an institution that would make an investment in someone who was seven months pregnant — I want to be part of that community.”

Discussing this experience and others, it quickly becomes clear that Stubbs values being able to combine the personal and professional. Sitting down to talk about work somehow seems more like sitting down for coffee. She deftly changes from interviewee to interviewer, encouraging anyone who interacts with her to open up about their own interests and goals.

The timing worked well for both Stubbs and the university, with maternity leave leading to part-time work during the summer. This breathing room gave her a chance to reflect on the mission of the new office before a formal launch with the academic year.

Of course, the scholarships themselves aren’t new. Between major national scholarships and university-wide awards, these honors had “lived” in all corners of the university. While some had long histories with particular administrators, such as then-assistant dean Barb Wiley in Letters & Science, others had bounced around from place to place.

The Churchill award — one of the office’s biggest and most recent triumphs — nearly became a casualty. Once administered by the College of Engineering, the International Institute also controlled the nominating process for some time. The university had gone so long between nominations that the national committee made a site visit and warned that UW–Madison might lose its ability to nominate students at all.

Stubbs viewed the position with a long-term strategy. She describes her first year as a chance to become familiar with campus culture, while her second year helped her grasp what each scholarship foundation looked for in its recipients.

Slowly, during the next few years, students began winning more national undergraduate scholarships, including the Goldwater (science, math and engineering), Udall (environmental studies and Native American issues) and Truman (public service) awards. With the recent Marshall and Churchill awards, both funding study at prestigious programs in the United Kingdom, she knew that the office had built a strong foundation for future success.

She coordinates much more than the national awards. This year, her office has received 215 applications for Hilldale and Holstrom grants, providing research opportunities for dozens of undergraduates.

The largest part of her job involves recruiting students and raising awareness of scholarships at all levels. She hosts Scholarships 101 sessions and meets with students in her office to discuss their interests and skills.

One of the main advantages of having a single centralized office involves being able to maintain relationships and provide multiple opportunities. A student with a demonstrated interest in helping improve the environment through innovative inventions, for example, might be eligible for both the Udall and Goldwater awards, while a student who might not have as much of a chance in one particularly strong nominating pool might consider another option. Winners of these undergraduate awards can also stay on the radar for future opportunities, as did Goldwater and eventual Churchill winner Daniel Lecoanet.

By far, however, Stubbs finds that the best recruiting comes from professors. It underscores the importance of forming meaningful relationships with instructors early on. Scholarship recipients, always willing to provide advice to potential candidates, encourage students to sit in the front rows of classes to encourage face-to-face recognition in large classes. In turn, the professors encourage their students to meet with Stubbs and discuss their options.

 “There’s no one definition of a Rhodes or Marshall scholar,” says Stubbs. “Sure, they’re all academic high flyers; they want to use their experience to make the world a better place. But how they make those things coalesce and how they express those things is what makes a Rhodes scholar.”

Indeed, the continuing presence of past scholars has helped shape the office’s future. Past scholars sit in panel discussions, serve as personal mentors for nominees or even offer faculty assistance. An alumnus from Seattle recently provided the office with its first-ever donation. With multiple past winners on campus as both fellow students and professors, potential scholars have a wealth of experience on which to draw.

As the office continues to raise UW–Madison’s already-high international profile, some goals remain. No Badger has won a Rhodes Scholarship in several decades, though the time may soon be right. But Stubbs doesn’t consider winning that level of award the primary benefit of her office.

“It’s going to sound corny, but I really do believe that the process itself is a reward,” she says. “Stepping back and reflecting on your experiences — in class, out of class — integrating those and thinking about how you want to put your education into action; that’s really been beneficial. Even if they don’t get the award, they’ll call me up and say that the work that they put into their application has helped them get an internship, or a job, or get into the grad school of their choice.”

She brings out a green folder, overflowing with thank-you cards and letters from past nominees. The handwritten messages are effusive, chatty and personal. Most of all, they show that even the highest achievers are surprised at the depth of assistance they receive.

“So many people chipped in to help me on this application, expressing their faith in who I am and what role I can play in the world,” reads one from Jack Kent Cooke winner Joel Charles.

“Working with the students leaves me inspired,” says Stubbs. “It’s difficult to be pessimistic about the future when you know that these young leaders are on their way to addressing some of the most serious problems we face.”