Megan Sippel, Graduate Program Manager for the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, has received the Arthur J. and Ellen A. Maurer Extra Mile Award from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
The award was originally established in 1999 by Ellen Maurer as the Arthur J. Maurer Extra Mile Award in memory of her husband, Arthur J. Maurer, a CALS poultry and food scientist and assistant dean for International Agricultural Programs. The award has since been renamed to also honor Ellen Maurer, who had a distinguished career as a teacher, writer, editor, photographer, and international science communicator. She served as a publications editor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication and as a senior university relations specialist for CALS.
The Maurer Extra Mile Award is especially meaningful because nominations are made exclusively by students. Sippel was recognized for her exceptional commitment to graduate student success, her student-centered approach, and her sustained efforts to strengthen the graduate student experience in Animal and Dairy Sciences.
Since joining the department in 2020, Sippel has helped transform and professionalize graduate program support. Her work includes advising students on degree progress and university policies, coordinating professional development opportunities, supporting student funding and academic milestones, and helping students navigate challenges throughout their graduate training. Nomination materials described her as “an integral part of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences” and a trusted resource who has made it her mission to support the well-being and academic success of graduate students.
Sippel has also played an important role in building community within the department. She has supported student organizations, helped expand professional and social opportunities, and contributed to initiatives such as graduate student orientation, mentoring programs, annual progress reporting, and the Departmental Infographics Poster Competition. Her nominators highlighted her kindness, warmth, and ability to help students feel supported, connected, and valued.
“Megan’s dedication to the graduate students in the Animal & Dairy Sciences Department has been instrumental to the success of individual students, and also to the departmental administrative and cultural functioning,” the student nomination stated.
Sippel was honored during the CALS Awards program held Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in the Ebling Symposium Center of the Microbial Sciences Building at UW–Madison.