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Dr. April Brooks Awards - Past Winners

About the Awards

In celebration of Women’s History Month in March, the SDSU Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Coalition presents the annual Dr. April Brooks Awards in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies. These awards recognize the outstanding accomplishments of individuals or organizations, on or off campus, who promote equity in gender and/or sexuality. Nominees advance the mission of the WGSS program at SDSU: to educate our university and the public on issues related to gender and sexuality, through innovative curricula, research and/or outreach.

Past Award Winners

2001
Dr. Carol Peterson, Provost
Dr. Marysz Rames, Dean of Student Services
Nancy Neiber, Women's Intercollegiate Athletics
Dawn Goetz-Parten, Student, Pharmacy
Deborah Bortnem, Administrative Assistant, Cooperative Extension

2002
Dr. Laurie Stenberg Nichols, Dean of Family and Consumer Sciences
Dr. Joye Anne Billow, Professor of Pharmacy
Randi Ebsen-Shumann, President's Cottage
D. Kirstan Butler, Student

2003 
Dr. Virginia Norris, Department Head, Psychology
Dr. Diane Rickerl, Professor of Plant Science
Jan Evans, Senior Secretary, College of Arts and Sciences
Kara Christensen, Student, Journalism and Mass Communication

2004
Dr. Mary Kay Helling, Assistant Vice President
Dr. Suzette Burckhard, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Palette Heesch, Program Assistant, Plant Science
Melissa Pater, Student and Athlete 

2005
Dr. Peggy Gordon Miller, President
Dr. Carol Cumber, Professor of Economics
Julia Fausti, Computer Support, Plant Science
Mary Andrawis, Student, Pharmacy

2006
Dr. Roberta Olson, Dean of Nursing
Doris Giago, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication
Susan Goens, Administrative Assistant, Ag-Bio Engineering
Stephanie Chase, Student, Political Science

2007
Karyn Weber, Director of Human Resources
Dr. Anne Fennell, Plant Science
Katherine Heiberger, Catalog Assistant, Academic Affairs
Renay Silva, Student, Nursing

2008
Lynn Verschoor, Director of the South Dakota Art Museum 
Dr. Linda Nussbaumer, Professor of Interior Design
Louise Skovlund, Custodial Services
Melissa Wuellner, Graduate Student, Wildlife & Fisheries

2009
Dr. Maria Ramos, Department Head of Modern Languages
Kristi Russow, Instructor in the College of Education
Carrie Van Buren, Curator at the Agricultural Heritage Museum
Catherine Grandorff, Student, English and Global Studies

2010
Dr. Kathleen Donovan, Assistant to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Department Head, English
Dr. Sharon Clay, Professor of Plant Science
Cheryl Beste, Administrative Assistant, Department of Animal and Range Sciences
Claire Garry-Peschong, Student, Civil Engineering

2011
Dr. April Brooks, Department Head and Professor, History and Political Science 
Dr. Aimee Wertz-Lutz, Associate Professor, Animal Science
Brenda Bjorklund, Accounting Assistant, Animal Science
Eliza Yellow Bird, Student, Counseling

2012
Dr. Laurie Haleta, Department Head and Professor, Communication Studies and Theatre
Dr. Heike Bücking, Associate Professor, Biology and Microbiology,
Christine Garst-Santos, Assistant Professor, Modern Foreign Language and Global Studies,
Carol Kleinjan, Senior Secretary, Animal and Range Sciences
Angela Gebhart, Undergraduate Student, Animal Science

2013
Karla Trautman, Associate Director, SDSU Extension Service
Dr. Patricia Johnson, Professor, Department of Natural Resource Management
Betty Nelson, Senior Secretary, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Bonnie Junker, Graduate Student, Human Sciences

2014
Administrative and Professional Staff- Robin Salverson
Faculty Member Laura Diddle
Civil Service- Virginia Coudron
Student - Ashley Potter

2015
Administrative and Professional Staff - Lindsey Gerard
Faculty – Meredith Redlin
Civil Service – Linda Fawcett
Student – Claire Evans

2016
Administrative and Professional Staff - Charlotte Davidson
Faculty - Teresa Seefeldt
Civil Service - Christina Thurston
Student - Madelin Mack

2017
Administrative - Jane Christopher-Hennings
Professional Staff - Dianne Nagy
Faculty - Crystal Levesque
Civil Service - Veronica Shriver 
Student - Karla Rodriguez-Hernandez 

2018
Administrative - Jane Mort
Professional Staff - Janet Johnson
Faculty - Lacey McCormack
Civil Service - Michelle Leeds
Student - Semehar Ghebrekidan

2019
Administrative - Suzanne Stluka
Professional Staff - Maria Kalyvaki
Faculty - Amber Jensen
Graduate Student - Susan Kroger
Undergraduate Student - Sydney Swenson

2020
Administrative - Kas Williams
Professional Staff - Marjoanne Thompson
Faculty - Christine Stewart
Civil Service - Linda Quade
Student - Leah Hendrickson

Ally Award - Brookings PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays)

2021
Organization Award - Brookings Human Rights Commission
Dr. April Brooks Scholarship - Katrina Gilbertson
Individual Award - Jamie Sly