Christine Wunderlin is being honored with the 2021 Limited Term Employee Staff Award for Excellence. Wunderlin retired from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in May as the testing center program associate. The award recognizes a staff member who has provided essential services to the university while demonstrating excellence of performance, personal interaction, and initiative and creativity.
“It was a big surprise. I did not expect it,” said Wunderlin. “[The award] confirmed what I had always thought, which is that I honestly had the best supervisor and colleagues.”
Wunderlin began her tenure at UW-Platteville in 2013 and held positions in Services for Students with Disabilities and most recently in the Testing Center.
“The students appreciate Christine’s attention to details and responses to their needs when she realizes they may need an additional accommodation,” said Chuck Harwick, testing center coordinator. “Her pleasant personality and keen, self-deprecating sense of humor have made her a joy to work with. Christine is intelligent and empathetic and will adapt to any situation.”
Wunderlin, who is a 1990 alumna of UW-Platteville, called it a wonderful experience to have had the opportunity to work at her alma mater for the past eight years. As she embarks on a new chapter, she notes how much she’ll miss interacting with students and being on campus.
“It’s all about the students,” said Wunderlin. “It was fun to see the students grow over the years. They would come in as freshmen and be shy, quiet and I could hardly get a word out of them. And by the time they left as seniors, it was nice to see the transformation of them growing up, being a little more outspoken and carrying on a conversation. It was rewarding.”
As Wunderlin reflects on her career, she cherishes the relationships she has built with her students and co-workers. Wunderlin explained how it hasn’t quite sunk in yet that she won’t be returning to the Testing Center this fall.
“Retirement won’t fully kick in until September when I should be going back to work, and I won’t. Right now, since I always had the summer off, it seems like my normal summer,” she said. “UW-Platteville is always near and dear to my heart.”
Wunderlin will be recognized at the UW-Platteville faculty and staff convocation on Thursday, Aug. 26.