When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Amy Williamson’s efforts on behalf of the Wisconsin Idea kicked into high gear.
As associate director for the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE), Williamson went above and beyond in providing the public with clear, factual, research-based information on abortion, contraception, and reproductive autonomy.
For these efforts and more, Williamson is the 2023 recipient of the Robert and Carroll Heideman Award for Excellence in Public Service and Outreach, a University of Wisconsin–Madison Academic Staff Excellence Award. Each year, the university recognizes outstanding academic staff members who have excelled in leadership, public service, research, and teaching.
“Amy brilliantly embodies the public mission of our university, beautifully and powerfully translating CORE’s research and expertise in service to the state.”
— Jenny Higgins, Bissell Professor of Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and CORE Director
As one nominee put it, “While Amy has been long deserving of this award, she has never been more deserving than during this past year.”
For policy makers and healthcare workers, Williamson prepared “Wisconsin Abortion Laws 101,” lucidly explaining the state’s complicated abortion restrictions. She has produced many evidence-based policy briefs (such as Roe v. Wade‘s Fall: Consequences for Wisconsin) and serves on statewide reproductive health workgroups, all while overseeing CORE’s day-to-day operations and its deep portfolio of research projects.
Williamson also works closely with faculty from across campus and the UW System to help translate and disseminate their research. And she does it all with what colleagues call her “special sauce” — warmth, a can-do attitude, and a service mindset.
The award will be presented at a UW–Madison ceremony on April 24.