DEADLINES
Nomination deadline: January 23, 2025
Student application deadline: February 10, 2025
*UW-Madison faculty and staff may nominate senior students. An online nomination form will be available in December, 2024. Alternately, faculty and staff can email awards@provost.wisc.edu with nominees’ names and email addresses. Students may not nominate themselves or other students.
AWARD DESCRIPTION
Originally called the Awards for Initiative and Efficiency, they are among the oldest and most prestigious honors granted to senior undergraduates at UW-Madison. Mr. Theodore Herfurth Jr., a prominent Madison businessman and civic leader, established the first award in 1928 and added a second award in 1943. The awards continue to be supported by Mr. Herfurth’s family.
Two awards of $4,000 are given annually to senior students who have pursued an exemplary Wisconsin Experience, making the most of their time at the university, and demonstrating intellectual and personal growth.
ELIGIBILITY
- Nomination by UW-Madison faculty or staff
- Senior standing (will graduate May/August/December of calendar year)
- Must be in good academic and disciplinary standing to apply
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Academic achievement and recognition
- Leadership in extracurricular activities (includes research and the creative arts)
- Financial self-support (employment, scholarships, etc.)
- Effective communication skills
APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply, senior students must first be nominated by UW–Madison faculty or staff. Nominees complete an application on the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH), which includes a resume and short essay. The Herfurth-Kubly Selection Committee invites 10 finalists to a dinner in early April. Attendance at the dinner is mandatory, and at this event finalists will give two short speeches, one prepared and one impromptu.