PLATTEVILLE — Julie Bussan Julius, a 1996 elementary education alumna of UW–Platteville, longtime educator with the Platteville Public School District and resident of the city, has been selected by the UWP College of Liberal Arts and Education as this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award.

Julius will receive the award at the college’s recognition ceremony this October.

“Anyone who has children who have gone through the Platteville School District over the past 12 years knows Julie Julius,” wrote Dr. Elizabeth Gates, UW–Platteville psychology professor, in her nomination of Julius. “If anyone in Platteville is a celebrity, it is she. The mention of her name elicits broad smiles and the recitation of tales of children’s first experiences with school and the magic of her classroom. Mob scenes materialize when she is spotted at the swimming pool or grocery store.”

Since graduating from UW–Platteville, Julius has taught high school mathematics and sixth and seventh grade social studies and geography in the Prairie du Chien School District, early learners at the UW–Platteville Children’s Center, and four-year-old kindergarten at Platteville’s Neal Wilkins Early Learning Center. Beginning this fall, Julius will teach fifth grade at Platteville Middle School.

Gates said Julius’ high energy level and positivity are her strongest assets.

“Growing up in a family where education was very valued, as my father was a teacher and my mother was an adult trainer, I knew I wanted to be in the field of education,” said Julius, who grew up in Livingston. “I feel very blessed to be honored with this award.”

Among Julius’ many achievements is obtaining her National Board Certification in Professional Teaching Standards for Literacy and Language Arts, a rigorous and highly coveted accomplishment, in fall 2011.

Julius and her husband, Jason, also a 1996 graduate of UW–Platteville, are the parents of three boys: Blake, Trent and Dayne.