Graduate Faculty Mentor Award
College of Liberal Arts
For more than two decades, Professor Michelle Leichtman has been an indispensable part of the UNH community. Her scholarly field focuses on memory development, and her extensive research has examined cultural differences in autobiographical memory and self-construal among children and adults, parent-child reminiscing conversations and memories of educational episodes. Over the course of her career, she has authored and edited numerous scholarly collections, journal articles and chapters published by the Journal of Experimental Psychology, Infant and Child Development and Emerging Themes in Cognitive Development, to name a few, and is the current graduate faculty coordinator for UNH’s psychology department.
However, what might be Michelle’s most valuable contribution to the UNH community is the tireless mentorship and education she has provided her students. Since joining the university, she has served on 16 master’s and 20 Ph.D. committees, including eight as chair. As a mentor, students and faculty alike cite her ability to deftly push for excellence while also maintaining an encouraging approach for proven student success.
Many of her students have gone on to distinguish themselves in the profession and cite her as being instrumental in their careers. As one of her colleagues noted in his supporting letter:“Michelle creates a wonderful balance between providing mentorship and allowing the students flexibility to make their own decisions about research and other matters.
For instance, a former student noted in her supporting letter that she is ‘able to strike the perfect balance between giving guidance and still allowing her students the independence they need to grow. ’
Michelle’s students also note the exceptional degree to which she cares about their lives and well-being. As one put it: “Professor Leichtman has been exceptionally responsive to my needs and an incredibly instrumental figure in my academic achievements as a graduate student. She always made sure I received the academic, mental and social support that I was not even aware I needed. ”
We join Michelle’s students and colleagues in recognizing her years of generous guidance, diligent work ethic and collaborative spirit, which has done so much for her students and the university as a whole.
About this Award
The Graduate Faculty Mentor award is designed to honor a faculty member whose commitment to excellence in graduate student training has contributed significantly to graduate students’ professional development. Forms only accepted during application period.
