UW-Whitewater announces 2024 alumni award recipients

March 18, 2024

Five individuals who have achieved exceptional professional success or have made significant contributions to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater are being honored as the university celebrates its 156th anniversary. The 2024 class of alumni award honorees include graduates with careers in education leadership, international business, education and coaching, and tax law and accounting — including the assistant coach of the Badger women’s basketball team.

The awards will be presented at the Founders Day Celebration, held at UW-Whitewater at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20.

This year’s recipient of the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award is Tiffany Morton. The award recognizes the professional accomplishments of Morton, who earned a B.A. in psychology in 2009 and an MSE in professional development in 2012. A post-graduation career first in professional basketball and then in coaching led to her spending the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at Rice University. In 2023, she was named assistant coach of UW-Madison women’s basketball team.

The recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement is Tremayne Clardy. Clardy, who earned a BSE in physical education in 1994 and an M.S. in health, physical education and coaching in 1998, is a first-generation student who channeled what he learned in education and coaching to embark upon a more than 25-year career in education capped by his current role as superintendent of schools for the Verona Area School District, which encompasses 10 schools and 5,888 students.

Also receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement is Lee Riordan. Riordan, who earned a BBA in accounting in 1976, drew upon the accounting education he received on campus, the awareness he gained about people from diverse backgrounds, and a law degree from Marquette University to fuel a decades-long career in the Milwaukee area with Arthur Andersen and Deloitte — one distinguished for his passionate advocacy of accessibility within the profession.

Mike Warmuth is this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to UW-Whitewater. After earning a BBA in production operations management in 1985, Warmuth enjoyed an international career with Abbott Labs over the course of three decades while managing as many as 30,000 employees. He also re-engaged with the university’s supply chain program, funding scholarships and helping to develop a more dynamic curriculum and deeper engagement with companies that offer supply chain opportunities.

The recipient of the S.A. White Award for Contributions to UW-Whitewater is Marty van Steenderen, who joined UW-Whitewater as an assistant professor of physical education and director of the Women's Recreation Association in 1961. She served as women's athletic director from 1971-86, and taught physical education at UW-Whitewater until her retirement in 1990, at which point she kept coming back to campus, working diligently to see that progress was made on the new softball complex that was formally dedicated in her honor in 2015.

“All of these accomplished individuals speak to the breadth and the depth of the impacts that our graduates can have, both professionally and in their communities,” said Chancellor Corey A. King. “As evidenced by these individuals, our academic programs have a strong track record of producing talented, versatile graduates, and I couldn’t be more proud to recognize and celebrate the achievements of these Warhawks. Together we are Warhawk Bold!”

“Our alumni and friends of the university bring a wealth of experiences to the Warhawk family,” said Amy Oeding ’90, director of alumni relations. “Like so many of our supporters, they not only give back to their communities, they continue to have a rich connection to the campus and to today’s students.”

Also being honored are the 2023-2024 UW-Whitewater Outstanding Student Award winners, one from each of the university’s five undergraduate colleges. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship in addition to their award:

• Emily Braatz, accounting and finance major from Appleton, College of Business and Economics
• William Morgan, biology major from Naperville, Illinois, College of Letters and Sciences
• Charlie Shilhavy, music major from Racine, College of Arts and Communication
• Ashlyn Vlcko, physical education major from Plover, College of Education and Professional Studies
• Lily Walton, liberal arts major from Janesville, College of Integrated Studies

Visit our webpage for more information on UW-Whitewater’s Distinguished Alumni awards.

For any questions, contact Amy Oeding, director of alumni relations, at oedinga@uww.edu or 262-472-7033.