Amy Udelhofen, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville academic department associate for Performing and Visual Arts is receiving the 2020 University Staff Award for Excellence.
“I’m very grateful,” said Udelhofen. “I was very surprised. I didn’t know faculty and staff had submitted my name as a nomination for this award. It’s humbling. There are a lot of people who could be very deserving of this award. I’m very grateful that the faculty, staff and department chair are very appreciative of all the work I do and recognizing what I’m doing here.”
Udelhofen joined the Department of Performing and Visual Arts in the fall of 2012 after working in the Admissions Office for two years. There is no typical day for Udelhofen from helping students, to setting up travel arrangements for the bands, choirs, faculty and staff, to working on programs and posters for upcoming events. She said it is rewarding to watch the students grow as they advance through their collegiate career.
“Our students are great. I have three kids of my own, but I feel I have 100 more here that I see on a daily basis when things were normal,” said Udelhofen. “I stay in contact with a lot of them. I miss them when they graduate. It’s great to see them now. They come back for events. It’s great to catch up with them. They are off growing in their career, getting married and having their own kids.”
As UW-Platteville prepares for campus-based learning this fall Udelhofen is looking forward to seeing the students and instructors.
“I know classes won’t be like how they were before,” she said. “I’m hoping all three of our areas that have exhibitions and performances will be able to do that even if it is not with a live audience. Hopefully, we can get back to streaming the live events because it’s a culmination of a lot of their course work and time here.”
As Udelhofen enters her eighth year in the Department of Performing and Visual Arts, she said it’s exactly where she’s supposed to be.
“It’s the best decision I have ever made,” she said. “I’m so grateful to be here with this group of people. They are all wonderful. I can’t wait for them to all come back.”