Professional Achievement Award

Dr. Diane Held Munzenmaier, Arts ’84
Brookfield, Wis.

Dr. Diane Munzenmaier has devoted her career and her retirement to living the Jesuit concept of “men and women for others” — mentoring students, educators, and Marquette student-athletes. In both her professional and personal life, Diane finds gratification in helping students feel empowered and excited about learning.

During her time at Marquette, Diane was a five-time All-American and a member of the 1982 NAIA National Championship cross-country team, lettering in both cross-country and track.

As a researcher and educator at the Medical College of Wisconsin, she focused on understanding the chemical and physical controllers of new blood vessel growth. She moved to the Milwaukee School of Engineering to focus more on education, curriculum development and mentorship. At MSOE, she developed hands-on models and materials to teach molecular biosciences and provided professional development for science educators.

Diane has given back to Marquette in many ways, serving on the M Club’s board of directors and on the Hall of Fame committee. She received the Hy Popuch Award in 2008.

In addition, Diane has been involved with the Marquette Mentors program since its inception. She especially enjoys working with Marquette student-athletes because their experience is unique and demanding, and a mentor who understands that can better assist them as they begin their career paths. Reflecting on her own experience, Diane says, “Being a Marquette student-athlete is excellent preparation for achieving personal and career success because the road is challenging, but the payoff is always worth the struggle.”

Fun Facts:

What is one of your favorite Marquette memories?
Winning the NAIA National Cross-Country Championship in 1982.

Name a Marquette faculty or staff member who had an impact on you, and how.
Many faculty and staff had a great impact on me. The person who stands out, however, was a Ph.D. student named Joe Metzger, who praised a research paper I wrote my senior year. He gave me confidence to believe that I could earn a Ph.D. It also made me realize how important mentorship and encouragement is to students as they try to figure out their career goals.