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Forward under 40: Making a Difference in Education

Feb. 28, 2008

MADISON, Wis. — Several University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates who have made an impact in the field of education have been honored with the new Forward under 40 Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA).

Honorees are featured in Forward under 40, a publication to be distributed in March 2008 to 100,000 UW-Madison alumni and WAA members.

Recipients in education include:
  • Lisa Peyton-Caire ’96, MS’99 and Kaleem Caire ’00, Bowie, Md. Founders of Next Generation Education Foundation, a nonprofit committed to increasing school success among adolescent males of color.
  • Ryan Christianson ’96, Edgar, Wis. Associate principal of Lincoln High School and co-creator of Digital Time Travelers, a tech-based learning tool.
  • Ben-Tzion Karsh ’93, MS’96, PhD’99, Madison, Wis. Associate professor of industrial engineering at UW-Madison, where his research focuses on preventing medical errors.
  • James Kass ’91, San Francisco. Founder of Youth Speaks, the nation’s leading presenter of spoken-word performance.
  • Paula Kluth ’92, PhD’98, Chicago. Author and independent consultant in the field of autism education.
  • Jose Lerma MA’01, MFA’02, Brooklyn, N.Y. Internationally recognized artist and professor of art.
  • Marc E. Lewis ’94, Boston. Middle-school teacher who provides training for staff and students in school districts throughout Massachusetts on GLBT and other diversity issues.
Interactive profiles of all 23 award winners are available at forwardunder40.com.