Each year, the college selects outstanding graduating students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership and service to the university, the college and the community. To be eligible, students must be CALS undergraduate or graduate students who will graduate in the 2026 calendar year (May, August, December) and have been attending UW–Madison for at least three semesters.

Awardees will be recognized and receive a certificate at the CALS Student Awards on April 8. There is no money or scholarships associated with the awards.

Use this form to nominate a graduating student for a CALS Award. Students may self-nominate, and each student may be nominated for one award. If you are nominating multiple students, please fill out separate forms for each student.

Applications close at 11:59 p.m. on March 22, 2026. Contact Tom Browne (Thomas.Browne@wisc.edu) and Liza Chang (Liza.Chang@wisc.edu) with questions.

Undergraduate Categories:

Employee Award
CALS students play a critical role in student positions across our campus. Nominate an undergraduate student who has been exemplary as an employee within departments or units, representing high customer service, reliability, and setting a standard by which one would model student employees. The unit that they worked in does not have to be a CALS unit.

Leadership Award
We know that CALS students are remarkable in their involvement and engagement in activities that bolster academic and personal growth. Nominate an undergraduate student that has demonstrated service above and beyond normal participation in the form of facilitation of activities, making an impact through demonstrable actions within an organization that raise the level of performance or achievement of that group. 

Mentoring Award
Peers are often the most influential people in the lives of fellow students when fostering a sense of community and support through sharing of their time, experiences, and knowledge of place and self. Nominate an undergraduate student who has taken on the role of mentoring through an official or unofficial capacity and has made a difference in the lives of individuals and programs through their time, attention, and guidance. 

Perseverance Award
Being a university student can be a rewarding, but often challenging experience that can be interrupted by pitfalls and challenges that might derail retention and measures of success. Nominate an undergraduate student who has overcome obstacles and endured through the face of adversity or interruption, or a non-traditional student who had to adjust to formats that may be inconvenient, but has positioned themself to achieve degree completion. 

Graduate Student Categories:

Leadership Award
We know that CALS students are remarkable in their involvement and engagement in activities that bolster academic and personal growth. Nominate a graduate student for this award if they have demonstrated service above and beyond normal participation in the form of facilitation of activities, making an impact through demonstrable actions within an organization that raise the level of performance or achievement of that group. 

Mentoring Award
Peers are often the most influential people in the lives of fellow students when fostering a sense of community and support through sharing of their time, experiences, and knowledge of place and self. Nominate a graduate student who has taken on the role of mentoring through an official or unofficial capacity and has made a difference in the lives of individuals and programs through their time, attention, and guidance. 

Perseverance Award
Being a university student can be a rewarding, but often challenging experience that can be interrupted by pitfalls and challenges that might derail retention and measures of success. Nominate a graduate student who has overcome obstacles and endured through the face of adversity or interruption, or a non-traditional student who had to adjust to formats that may be inconvenient, but has positioned themselves to achieve degree completion. 

Service and Outreach Award
Many of our Graduate Students go above and beyond the call of duty to be available to lead workshops for prospective students, volunteer their time as mentors, and give of their time to serve activities in the interest of department/unit growth and success through committee involvement. Nominate a graduate student who has made outstanding contributions in the areas of service and impact internally and externally.