UW-Whitewater announces 2025 alumni award recipients

March 17, 2025

Seven individuals who have achieved exceptional professional success or have made significant contributions to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater are being honored as the university proudly celebrates its 157th anniversary. The 2025 class of alumni award honorees include graduates with job responsibilities as diverse as managing grizzlies in a national park to playing a purple trombone in extreme conditions to coaching an NFL team — all reflecting the spirit of Warhawk Boldness and a culture of philanthropy that characterize the campus culture at UW-Whitewater.

The awards will be presented at the Founders Day Celebration, held at UW-Whitewater at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 26.

This year the university is honoring the professional achievements of two outstanding recent alumni. Tyler Brasington, who earned a B.S. in environmental science in 2017, has been serving as a bear management ranger with the National Park Service at Grand Teton in Wyoming since 2019. Dr. Sylvia Washington, who earned a B.S. in sociology and criminal justice in 2016 and an M.S. in professional development and higher education leadership in 2017, serves as the director of DEI and partnerships at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions in Baltimore, Maryland.

UW-Whitewater is also honoring two distinguished alumni for their professional achievement. Eric Studesville, who earned a BSE in physical education in 1989, is associate head coach and running backs coach with the Miami Dolphins. His professional football coaching career includes a number of positions with collegiate teams, quality control coaching with the Chicago Bears, and stints as running back coach with the New York Giants from 2001-2003, the Buffalo Bills from 2004-2009 and the Denver Broncos from 2010-2017. Studesville describes former head coach Bob Berezowitz and former defensive coordinator Bruce Bukowski as mentors who meaningfully shaped his time on campus and his ability to forge meaningful, long-lasting relationships with the players he coaches.

Also receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement is Lisa Werner. Werner, who earned her B.M. in music education-instrumental in 2001, is music teacher and band director at St. Bruno Parish School in Dousman and as the senior symphony orchestra manager with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra organization. In order to show her students that music is connected to everything, she has participated in unique interdisciplinary learning programs that have taken her — and her purple plastic trombone — into zero gravity, out to sea to conduct research, to Antarctica to engage in music-related activities often inspired by her students, and, later this year, to Africa on a Fulbright.

Jeff Angileri is this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to UW-Whitewater. After earning a B.A in journalism in 2006, Angileri worked as a broadcast journalist for several years and then returned to campus, where he serves as executive director of University Marketing and Communications. Angileri has used his communication and marketing talents to champion UW-Whitewater during its greatest triumphs and achievements and to serve as a rock of stability and strength during the university’s most challenging times. A student speaker at his own graduation, he has mentored 35 student commencement speakers as well as supervising dozens of student interns. He meaningfully contributed to the university’s 150th celebration by serving as host of the gala event and authoring the book created to honor the occasion. And as the recipient of college scholarships who experienced first hand the impact of philanthropy, he donates annually to the Warhawks Give and Giving Tuesday fundraisers.

The recipients of the S.A. White Award for Contributions to UW-Whitewater are Dick and Roni Telfer. The Telfers have made an imprint on the campus and the surrounding community in numerous ways. Dick Telfer provided 30 years of professional service to UW-Whitewater, culminating in his role as chancellor from 2007 to 2015. Roni Telfer’s contributions in education encompassed leadership roles in the community, including serving as co-president of the Whitewater Community Foundation, and an instructional technology position with UW-Whitewater. At UW-Whitewater the couple established the Richard and Veronica Telfer Fellowship Program and the Telfer Incentive Program and have provided financial support to numerous programs at UW-Whitewater, including the College of Education and Professional Studies, the College of Arts and Communication and the Young Auditorium, Hyland Hall, Athletics, and Wheelchair Basketball, programs that ardently supported while in their campus roles.

“This year’s alumni award winners embody the spirit of Warhawk Bold — both professionally and in their communities,” said Chancellor Corey A. King. “UW-Whitewater has a strong track record of producing talented, versatile graduates. I am proud to recognize and celebrate the achievements of these Warhawks.”

“We are incredibly proud of this cohort of award winners, whose dedication to their communities, the university, and student success is truly inspiring,” said Amy Oeding ’90, executive director of alumni relations. “Their professional achievements and continued commitment to service and support exemplifies the spirit that defines the Warhawk family.”

Also being honored are the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 Lori & Eric Lorenz Outstanding Student Scholars, one from each of the university’s five undergraduate colleges. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship in addition to their award.

View more information on UW-Whitewater’s Distinguished Alumni awards »

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