Maria Graf, right, assistant professor in the UW-Oshkosh College of Nursing, and Carmen Hetzel, former UWO program adviser for student organization and leadership programs, receive honors from the Universities of Wisconsin.
The Universities of Wisconsin celebrated honorees from its campuses named as Women of Color in Education; and LGBTQ+ advocates.
Two recipients from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh were among those honored Thursday during the Board of Regents meeting in Madison.
Maria Graf, assistant professor in the UWO College of Nursing, was recognized as a 2024 Outstanding Woman of Color in Education honoree.
Graf is an ethnographer who studies the intersection of race, culture and socioeconomic status in the mental health needs and access to services among women of color, with an emphasis on Latina migrant farmworkers in the upper Midwest. Her research has been published in national and international journals.
Graf teaches community health nursing with a global health emphasis and promotes international collaboration and virutal exchange between UWO nursing students and their peers from universities in India, Peru, Argentina, Columbia and Guatemala.
In addition, she has served as a lead instructor for international community health nursing clinical rotations and has developed an underagraduate certificate in Global Health Nursing and serves as co-adviser for the Student Organization of Latinos and the Association for Diversity in Health Care.
“The Universities of Wisconsin have a longstanding commitment to inclusion at our universities,” said Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman. “We are proud to honor these women of color whose achievements are helping out campuses and communities.”
Carmen Hetzel, former UWO program adviser for student organization and leadership programs, was recognized with a 2024 Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ people.
Hetzel, who transitioned from UWO earlier this year, formerly served to collaborate and advocate for students.
She spent years creating workshops, conferences and training to support, engage and educate students about building inclusive environments and fostering personal and professional growth.
While at UWO she served on panels, wrote curriculum, facilitated workshops and presented on a wide range of leadership and identity topics for a variety of different campus offices at UWO including Dean of Students Office, LGBTQ Studies certificate program, Multicultural Education Center, Residence Life, Reeve Memorial Union, Student Recreation and Wellness, TRIO-Student Support Serves, and the Women’s and Gender Studies program.
“Honorees are helping build a better experience for our students, faculty and staff,” Rothman said. “This award recognizes their achievements in creating a safer and inclusive climate at our universities.”
Learn more: