The University of Wisconsin–Madison has named Katy Oksuita, MBA, MS, chief administrative officer of the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine, as a 2026 Academic Staff Excellence Award honoree.
Oksuita was recognized for her leadership of a complex academic and clinical enterprise spanning the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, UW Health and the Veterans Health Administration.
Presented by Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin at a reception on April 8, the awards celebrate 10 individuals whose work has had a significant impact on the university. “This year’s recipients represent the full breadth of academic staff excellence — advancing discovery at the frontiers of science, strengthening the classroom experience, stewarding complex research enterprises and providing the leadership and dedicated service that allow our institution to thrive,” Mnookin said.
Oksuita joined UW emergency medicine in 2010 as a residency coordinator and helped build the department’s training program, expanding its size and infrastructure and securing full accreditation on its first review. As the unit grew into an independent academic department, she advanced through successive leadership roles and was named chief administrative officer in 2017.
In this role, she works closely with Dr. Manish N. Shah, professor and chair of emergency medicine, to guide administrative and fiscal functions and workforce strategy across teaching, research and patient care settings, including UW Health Med Flight and affiliated emergency departments in Madison and Beloit.
Oksuita has led efforts to improve operational performance, including identifying inefficiencies in billing systems and directing institution-wide reviews to better align resources. She has also supported major clinical initiatives, including the opening of new emergency care facilities, while building a culture of trust and shared purposes across teams.
Colleagues describe her as a crucial ingredient in “the glue” that has held the department together through periods of rapid change. During the coronavirus pandemic, for example, she anticipated team needs, transitioned administrative operations to remote work and coordinated critical resources for frontline clinicians, helping to sustain operations and support across the department.
Oksuita emphasizes the department’s mission and people as central to her work, pointing to ongoing efforts to expand access to care while supporting the teams who deliver it. “As a UW–Madison alumna and proud Wisconsinite, receiving this award is truly the honor of a lifetime and reflects the excellence of everyone who has supported me along the way,” she said.
Read about the 2026 honorees in the official campus announcement.