Elizabeth Schaal, executive assistant for the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville calls it humbling to be receiving the Carol Sue Butts Woman of the Year Award. Named for the provost emeritus and former interim chancellor who served at UW-Platteville from 1998 until 2010, the award recognizes female employees and students who make a difference in the lives of women.
“I’m very honored. It feels a little ironic that after working with Carol Sue as her assistant for 12 years that I actually got this award in her name,” said Schaal, who is one of two recipients of the award this year. “When you look at the past recipients, there are so many remarkable women on campus. They are so inspiring.”
As Schaal enters her 27th year at UW-Platteville, she emphasizes the importance of supporting and empowering her colleagues on campus. She said throughout her tenure at UW-Platteville she’s been fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful supervisors and co-workers. One of Schaal’s favorite aspects of her position is interacting with a variety of people on campus and answering questions that may arise from different departments.
“Liz has been irreplaceable in mentoring and supporting new members to administrative structures within the Chancellor’s office, academic affairs and external relations,” said Dr. Melissa Gormley, UW-Platteville Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. “Her institutional knowledge and experience with campus policy and procedures is unmatched. She is always willing to share what she knows with others to make sure the entire campus runs smoothly.”
“Liz exemplifies the true meaning of being a Pioneer,” added Lauren Ganzer, UW-Platteville Executive Assistant of the Chancellor’s Office. “Liz’s knowledge of the UW System is invaluable, and she continuously shares her experiences with those around her, creating a healthy and prosperous learning environment. Her leadership among faculty, staff and students is nothing short of outstanding. Her passion for student and colleague success is contagious.”
Outside of her professional duties, co-workers acknowledge Schaal’s generosity of gifting banked hours to colleagues and contributing to the Pioneers Helping Pioneers fund, which helps UW-Platteville students and families struggling during difficult times. According to Schaal, it’s only natural to pay it forward, especially in a global pandemic.
“I’m in a point of my life where giving back in any way can make such a big difference. It’s easy to do because it can be something small or large,” she said. “I wanted to contribute to the Pioneers Helping Pioneers fund because we have interactions with the students here on campus, but also out in the community – it was a way to help our students who were really struck in a bad predicament with something so unexpected.”
As Wisconsin reopens from COVID-19, Schaal is excited for a bustling fall semester.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the sidewalks full of students, faculty and staff,” she said. “You miss all that activity of students shuffling from one class to the other and faculty and staff going in and out of the buildings for classes.”
Schaal will be recognized at the UW-Platteville faculty and staff convocation on Thursday, Aug. 26.
“I want to thank all the people who have supported me in the past. It has gotten me to be familiar with so many things and helped me succeed at my job,” said Schaal. “I have been blessed with some great supervisors and mentors. I’m at the point where I would like to share and mentor somebody else to get to a better place for themselves.”