Shannon “Shane” Bierma named 2026 Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient

No matter what she is doing, assistant professor of clinical psychology and researcher, Shannon "Shane" Bierma '11, of New Orleans, Louisiana, has built her life with a deep concern for others.

For her professional success and devotion to service, Bierma is being honored with the 2026 Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

Bierma earned her undergraduate degree in psychology in 2011 from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Honors College program, graduating with magna cum laude honors. She continued her education at the University of Tennessee, where she received a master's degree in clinical psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology.

She completed an internship in 2018-19 with Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center as well as a fellowship from July-November 2019. Since December 2021, she has served as an assistant professor of clinical psychology at LSU Health Sciences Center and since July 2024, Bierma also is director of research in the LSU Health Sciences Department of Psychiatry.

Getting her start at UWO

For Bierma, UW-Oshkosh is more than a place where she earned her degree in psychology. It was critical in forming who she is personally and professionally.

"I navigated higher education completely on my own without family assistance or support, so I went through it facing several hurdles," she said. "This was the first time in my life that I was in an environment with mentorship, which I desperately needed. The mentorship I received at UWO was the foundational element that paved the road to get me to where I am today."

When Bierma needed to step away during her fourth year of undergraduate school, the university welcomed her back and helped her finish later. She received support from numerous campus services and she was able to finish with honors and her mentors wrote letters of support that helped her get accepted into graduate school.

"I am still in contact with several previous mentors from UWO and they are still my biggest cheerleaders," she said.

Roberta Maguire, UWO professor emerita of English and Bierma's former instructor, said what she finds most impressive about Bierma's career is "everything she undertakes reveals her deep concern for the welfare of others . . ."

It is a trait Maguire recognized when Bierma was an undergraduate.

Maguire said Bierma's course for first-year medical students and another for psychiatry residents on psychodynamic theory while directing an assessment clinic for psychology trainees, as well as conducting an annual Safezone workshop, all relate to her care for individuals and their ability to lead their fullest possible lives.

In addition, Bierma's research underlines her fundamental concern for others and their development-including research focused on people living with HIV or PTSD; people with substance abuse issues in the service industry; and researching the effectiveness of mental health screening and referral when working with an historically underserved population.

"Shane's commitment to finding new ways to assist those in need and to train others to undertake similar work is unwavering," Maguire said.

Anca Miron, professor of psychology at UWO, said Bierma, a member of her research lab for several semesters, is making meaningful contributions in her field.

"Her work has a profound impact on improving the wellbeing of individuals living with serious medical conditions," Miron said. "In particular, her research helps address the stigma and barriers that often complicate treatment and care for people living with HIV and dementia."

Pride in her journey, accomplishments

"I am very proud of the HIV primary care and mental health clinic I helped build during graduate school," Bierma said. "This was absolutely life-changing for people living with HIV in Appalachia and life changing for me and my career trajectory as well. It gave me such a rich experience of how to make change for a community on a large scale, but also how to build a program/facility from the ground up and what goes into that. I have carried this into other career pursuits, and this has enabled me to build programs that help underserved populations in different geographical regions."

For Bierma, her time at UWO was the first in an environment with mentorship she desperately needed and a time, she said, her self-esteem was recalibrated and allowed her to believe in herself.

"The mentorship I received at UWO was the foundational element that paved the road to get me to where I am today," she said. "My department faculty, the Honors Program faculty/staff, student group faculty mentors and counseling services was the first healthy 'parenting' I received, and it reset my life path."

Her mentors assessed her abilities and showed her the path she needed to take to succeed-supporting, encouraging and challenging her in ways she had not experienced before.

Now, Bierma continues the UWO mentorship model with her students.

"I treat each of my students with respect, dignity and with the humanness I was shown in my time at UWO," she said, adding that she can help them navigate life events, stressors, safety issues and higher education because she was on the receiving end of UWO support during her undergraduate years.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will celebrate the talents and successes of eight alumni during Homecoming 2026 this October.

Bierma is among three top graduates who will receive Outstanding Young Alumni awards for their professional and civic accomplishments within 15 years of receiving their degrees; four will be honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award for their accomplishments in their professional fields; and one will receive the Alumni Outstanding Service Award for making exemplary contributions to support UWO through volunteer efforts, energy, leadership and/or philanthropic donations.

Learn more:

Eight UWO alumni to be honored at 2026 Alumni Awards Celebration Homecoming Weekend

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Senior military officer and retired police detective, Gabera to receive UWO Distinguished Alumni honors

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