Universities of Wisconsin, Alliant Energy honor UW-Platteville's Kwon, Polebitski
The Universities of Wisconsin and the Alliant Energy Foundation are honoring a pair of UW-Platteville professors for outstanding efforts teaching and inspiring undergraduate students.
The universities and the foundation announced Thursday that Drs. Miyeon Kwon and Austin Polebitski are among four UW system instructors who have won a 2026 Alliant Energy James R. Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award. The award goes to instructors who have shown an outstanding commitment to undergraduate student success and an ability to inspire others.
Kwon, a mathematics instructor, was recognized for exceptional course design and creating an engaging classroom atmosphere. She developed concept assessment tests for freshmen, a streaming course that improved student engagement and retention and an asynchronous course tailored for flexible learning. She also contributed to the organization of the annual Mathematical Modeling Contest at UW-Platteville and has served as a local supervisor for the national Putnam Mathematical Competition.
Polebitski is a department chair in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science. His research interests include urban and rural water use, water resource systems management and the effects of climate change on statewide resources. He has created courses on emerging topics such as fish passage, hydropower and upper Mississippi River uses. He also serves as the advisor for UW-Platteville's Engineers Without Borders chapter and has traveled to Ghana with students to construct two new middle schools.
The other two 2026 winners were Nick Balster, an environmental sciences professor at UW-Madison, and Scott Mobley, a political science instructor at UW-Madison.
The James R. Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Awards are given as a tribute to Alliant Energy's longtime senior executive, James R. Underkofler, who was a staunch proponent of excellence in undergraduate teaching. This year marks the 36th year of the awards.