The University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences announces the selections for its 2024 Honorary Recognition and Distinguished Alumni awards, as well as a new honor established this year, the Distinguished Recent Graduate Award. CALS presented the Honorary Recognition Award to Bill Bruins and Ann Palmenberg; the Distinguished Alumni Award to Michael Finley; and the Distinguished Recent Graduate Award to John Goeser and Elle Grevstad.

These are the highest honors bestowed by the college. The Honorary Recognition Award, now in its 115th year, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to their professions, their communities and the university. The Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes lifetime achievement and service, was established in 2009. The Distinguished Recent Graduate Award, established in 2024, recognizes graduates who earned their degree in the last 20 years and have made extraordinary contributions to their chosen field or an area of public service.

The awards were presented at the CALS Honorary Recognition Banquet on Oct. 10 in Union South at UW-Madison.

Honorary Recognition Award

The 2024 Honorary Recognition awardees are:

William “Bill” Bruins. A 1967 UW-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course alum with a passion for Wisconsin agriculture, Bruins sees the world as a classroom where everybody can learn, grow and share. He brought his FISC knowledge to the home farm and now operates Homeland Dairy with his two sons.

Bruins has devoted his life to public service, serving on many boards and committees, including the CALS board of visitors, the Midwest Dairy Coalition and the U.S. Dairy Export Council. He was elected to serve as president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation in 2003, shortly before mad cow disease was detected, an outbreak that undermined public confidence in the country’s meat supply. Bruins led the effort to build what became the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium, a private nonprofit organization to help prepare for future disease outbreaks.

He has been a voice for agriculture, never missing an opportunity to participate in a discussion to learn and share knowledge, and help move ideas forward. He has been actively involved in local, state and national initiatives, always with a commitment to the betterment of agriculture.

Ann Palmenberg. The virologist and recently retired professor in the UW-Madison Department of Biochemistry is esteemed for her efforts to understand the structure of viruses and how they operate. In 2009, Palmenberg led a team that reported the genome sequences for all 99 known strains of the cold virus, providing a detailed blueprint for the virus. Her work has led to the creation of new antivirals and vaccines, and she has been honored with numerous national awards, including election to the American Academy for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology.

Palmenberg is also committed to educating the public, and after COVID-19 emerged, she frequently presented information to help increase awareness and understanding of the new virus. She has been a champion of women in science and has long urged scientific societies to broaden the gender and racial diversity of their members and conference speakers. Palmenberg, who was also affiliated with UW’s Institute for Molecular Virology, is respected for her contributions to research, mentorship, service and public outreach.

Distinguished Alumni Award

The 2024 Distinguished Alumni awardee is:

Michael Finley. After an illustrious career in the NBA, Finley returned to UW-Madison to complete his bachelor’s degree in agricultural and applied economics in 2014. While his NCAA and NBA basketball careers are well-known, his accomplishments as an executive, entrepreneur and philanthropist are equally outstanding.

Over the past decade, Finley has been a leader in the Dallas Mavericks NBA franchise, currently serving as the assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations. In 2009, Finley began a film production company, Follow Through Productions LLC, where he has served as executive producer on several films. He built his path to filmmaking while playing in the NBA, taking on internships during the off-season.

In 2003, he started the Michael Finley Foundation, which offers programs to support children and their families by cultivating positive attitudes toward education, health and social skills. His foundation endowed a UW athletic scholarship in 2011. Finley brings humility, dedication and commitment to serve others into every realm in which he works.

Distinguished Recent Graduate Award

The 2024 Distinguished Recent Graduate awardees are:

John Goeser. With a passion for science-based decision-making, Goeser has focused his career on enhancing the profitability and sustainability of dairy and agricultural businesses around the nation and the world. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2004, master’s degree in 2006 and a doctorate in dairy nutrition in 2008, and has worked at Rock River Laboratory Inc. for more than a decade. He also holds an adjunct assistant professor position in the UW-Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences.

Goeser has forged collaborations leading to dozens of beneficial dairy nutrition research projects. He has become a sought-after speaker for events as well as a regular contributor to agricultural publications. This year, Goeser became a certified technical service provider through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service with the goal of helping herd managers navigate carbon emissions mitigation. He can speak across disciplines, gathering agronomists, animal nutritionists, veterinarians and farmers to work together.

Elle Grevstad. Grevstad earned a doctorate in biochemistry in 2011 and rejoined the UW-Madison Department of Biochemistry in 2014 to establish and direct its microscopy research lab. She then expanded her role to oversee multiple research facilities.

After her time at UW-Madison, she brought her technical and leadership skills to Exact Sciences, where she leads efforts to develop new products that can aid in cancer diagnostics, working with teams of academic collaborators, regulatory officials, product development scientists, clinical study experts and commercialization partners. She is an active part of Exact Sciences’ internship program, which offers training to both undergraduate and graduate students, and she has established herself as an advocate for career development, focusing on how scientific skill sets translate beyond the bench.

Grevstad’s experiences in the nonprofit sector and desire for continued learning led her to earn a Master of Business Administration from UW-Madison in 2021. She is motivated by the opportunity to contribute to impactful science that has the potential to significantly improve health care.

Source: UW-Madison CALS