Posted 2:06 p.m. Friday, July 10, 2026
University staff award winner provides decades of dedication to UWL Theatre & Dance
She has been working in the Theatre & Dance Department for nearly three decades, but Krista Shulka has never been one to seek out the spotlight.
Instead, her work has always helped others shine. Before students step into their first theater class, and long before the curtain rises on opening night, Shulka is behind the scenes connecting mentors with students, training faculty and staff, promoting productions, solving problems and ensuring countless details fall into place.
"I'm definitely a behind-the-scenes kind of girl," Shulka says.
For her exceptional service and lasting impact, the academic department associate received UWL's 2026 University Staff Excellence Award during the Excellence Luncheon on May 27.
"Through her creativity, her effectiveness, and her dedication not just to her job but to make sure that everyone around her is able to serve UWL and our students as well as possible, Krista Shulka is the kind of university staff member to be treasured," says Department Chair Laurie Kincman in a nomination letter.
Wearing many hats
Shulka's path to UWL began in 1988 when she arrived as a freshman from her family's farm near Prairie du Chien. After spending one summer milking cows, baling hay and working long factory shifts with work that stretched from 4:30 a.m. into the late evening, she realized she wanted a career that looked different.
But, today, that hardworking farm mindset still defines her approach to university work.
While academic department associates are responsible for work such as managing course schedules, calendars, budgets, meeting records, student payroll and more, Shulka's role extends far beyond those responsibilities. Because Theatre & Dance functions as both an academic department and a producing theatre company that stages six productions each year, Shulka is tasked with helping keep both operations running smoothly. She oversees publicity for every production, designs theatre programs, plans events, manages the department's social media accounts and directs a box office operation that sold more than 7,000 tickets during the 2024-25 season.
While the organization part of her role comes naturally, she especially enjoys the creative side of her work.
"I like to just go down the rabbit hole and look at what other schools are doing to promote their programs and productions and try those ideas here," she says.
She also values the relationships she's built with alumni, donors and longtime patrons who return year after year.
"I'm sometimes the one person they know from the department because I’m always at the box office," she says. "And I know something about them — That a particular patron likes seat K44 because they think it's two inches wider being next to the aisle — it's not. But I like having that relationship and remembering what they like."
A helping hand
Her willingness to help extends well beyond the Theatre & Dance Department. She remembers what it was like to be a new employee and the slow learning curve to uncovering what her role was really about.
"I remember those first few weeks of work thinking, 'I don't know what I'm doing here,'" she says. "It is scary to start a new job. If I can help, I am more than happy to."
So, when UWL transitioned to Workday, Shulka immersed herself in training so she could guide others through the change with refresher sessions and reference materials. She continues to help colleagues in her department and other academic department associates navigate purchasing, travel and budgeting processes.
She spent a decade leading university staff beyond her department as head of UWL's Program Associate Professional Development committee. They organized mentoring opportunities, held training sessions and networking events, and offered campus tours to new staff. In 2005, the committee coordinated a statewide conference for office professionals from across the Universities of Wisconsin. That group eventually evolved into today's University Staff Council.
Her dedication to students
While Shulka is a resource to many across campus, students are one of the primary reasons she loves coming to work each day. She created the department's student mentoring program, pairing incoming students with experienced Theatre & Dance majors before classes begin, so they have someone to answer questions and help them feel connected.
"We don't want them to start their freshman year saying they don't know anyone or know who to ask," she says.
Her office has also become a welcoming place where students stop by to ask questions, work through challenges or simply grab a piece of candy.
"I love my students," Shulka says. "They are so incredibly talented, and I'm always amazed at what they can do. They have jobs, they rehearse every night, and many don't get home until 10:30 or 11 p.m. before they start homework. Then they're back at it the next morning ready to go again."
Every spring, she wonders how the department will replace graduating student leaders. But then a new class arrives, and she watches another generation grow.
"They come in as quiet and shy freshmen, and by their junior year you really see them blossom," she says. "It is like watching baby birds set out to fly."
The theatre family
When asked what has kept her at UWL for nearly three decades, Shulka talks about family.
When she joined the department, it included only five faculty and staff members. Although it has grown significantly, the close-knit culture remains.
She experienced that support firsthand after being diagnosed with cancer in 2020. When she shared at a department meeting that she would be recovering from surgery and couldn't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, colleagues stepped in to help without being asked. Three department members volunteered to shovel snow — showing up at her home at 7 a.m. on wintery days.
"Through all of life — buying houses, having babies, losing loved ones — we've been through a lot together as a department," she says. "When I need something, they are the first people I'll ask, and we know we'll cover for each other."
Despite receiving one of the university's highest honors for staff, Shulka is quick to point out she sees many others also working quietly and contributing greatly to the success of UWL.
"Most university staff work behind the scenes," she says. "We keep things running smoothly so people don't really notice the work. The tulips bloom in the spring. The buildings are clean, and the payroll is done ... I think everyone wonders at some point whether anyone would notice if they weren't here. And the answer is, yes, they would.”
If Shulka were gone for just a month, the department would definitely have its challenges, says Kincman.
“We’d find ourselves in trouble quickly if we had to manage all the details of the box office, and we’d see a big influx of students with questions large and small that Krista normally answers every day,” she says.
Shulka is grateful for a department that has always been appreciative of her contributions — even without any award. And she is grateful to the students who bring a sense of purpose and pride to her work.
"I do it for our students — to help them grow and learn and succeed. I like to think that I'm a teeny tiny part of that,” she says.