Graham named recipient of University Excellence Award in Service

First-time honor recognizes extra efforts to assist students

Aug. 24, 2023 - Whether serving on multiple committees and on the Faculty Senate or spending extra time advising students, James Graham views service activities not as additional tasks but as an extension of his role as an agricultural education professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. 

Graham’s dedication to not only his job but to multiple other activities that benefit UWRF and its students hasn’t gone unnoticed. He has been selected as the recipient of the University Excellence Award in Service, an honor being bestowed for the first time this year. The award was announced at the fall Opening Meeting that kicks off the 2023-24 academic year.  

“I have never considered my service activities as ‘extra,’ but an extension of my role as a professor in agricultural education,” Graham wrote in an application letter for the award. 

In addition to committee and Faculty Senate work and chair of his department, Graham has attended many agriculture-related conferences and other events at which he promotes UWRF to prospective students and others. Such efforts help recruit students and inform others about the educational offerings available at UWRF. 

Colleague and Horticulture Professor David Zlesak praised Graham for his work on committees in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES). 

Graham “is routinely sought out for the wise and thoughtful perspectives he brings. Dr. Graham has a rich service record to the university through chairing and serving on many university-level committees,” Zlesak said. 

Working with students once they are on campus is another of Graham’s focuses. Conversations with students include academic matters and schedules but often also involve career discussions and life matters, he said. Oftentimes, Graham finds himself advising not only students assigned to him and others pursuing an agriculture degree but the broader student population.  

“Student advising to me has been more than academic, but in assisting in the professional and personal growth of all the students I interact with,” he said.  

Graham’s connections to students don’t end once those students graduate from UWRF. He said he enjoys working with graduates, helping them with everything from career advice to designing workshops. 

“Those close connections made here at UWRF have enhanced my ability to consistently offer my expertise and experience to our young professionals,” Graham said. 

Graham is also called upon by various groups and organizations to help them conduct meetings in an official manner. Recently, the Wisconsin Cooperatives Association contacted Graham seeking information about proper parliamentary procedure to run meetings. 

In many ways, Graham is the embodiment of service to UWRF, Zlesak said. 

“This award is designed to honor faculty that provide exceptional service and support to all spheres within their influence – their department, college, university, community, and discipline,” Zlesak said. “For decades, service with excellence, thoughtfulness, kindness, and inclusivity in all these spheres is a hallmark of Dr. Graham.”