In an email sent out to honors students at Stern College for Women , Dr. Cynthia Wachtell, American Studies Research Professor and founding director of the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College for Women, announced her retirement from teaching and directing the honors program at Stern.
Dr. Wachtell began her career at Stern in the summer of 1997 as an adjunct professor, teaching a course on composition and rhetoric. In the summer of 1999, she was encouraged to apply for the position of founding director of the honors program by then-undergraduate Dean Karen Bacon. She interviewed for the job on her son Jullian’s due date, and was offered the position shortly after his birth. The program was up and running less than a month later that August.
“I remain eternally grateful to Dean Bacon and the other committee members who were able to see past my large belly and offer me the job,” Dr. Wachtell told the YU Observer.
An expert in English literature, Dr. Wachtell holds a B.A. and M.A. in American Studies from Yale University and an M.A. in English and PhD in History of American Civilization from Harvard University. She has taught over a dozen different courses in her time at Stern, and was the editor of the nonfiction book The Backwash of War: An Extraordinary American Nurse in World War I, which is her second favorite work in American literature, beat out only by whatever she is currently teaching. She is also the author of War No More: The Antiwar Impulse in American Literature, 1861-1914, in which she traces the emergence of antiwar literature written between the American Civil War and World War I.
Throughout her time as director of the honors program, Dr. Wachtell organized and joined over 400 extracurricular activities and events with students. These events included lectures by leading scholars and experts in various fields, including doctors, lawyers and politicians, along with tours of historic New York City sites and museums like the U.N. buildings, Central Park and many more iconic NYC destinations. Dr. Wachtell’s work with the honors program also aimed to include cultural enrichment opportunities like Broadway shows, operas, ballets and various workshops for developing leadership and communication skills.
These events sometimes led to real world-opportunities for students in the program. Dr. Wachtell recalled the time she invited Dr. Florian Krammer, a professor of vaccinology at The Mount Sinai Hospital, for a talk. “He was very impressed by the honors students, and his visit directly led to several honors students interning in his lab and then working full time in his lab,” she said. (In 2024, the decision was made to cut the extracurricular requirement of the program almost entirely. Instead of having to attend five out of eight cultural events a year, students only had to attend a single dinner and one YU event each semester.)
Since helping found the honors program, the program has way outdone its original enrollment goals, peaking in 2022/2023 with more than 230 highly driven students in the program. Among its alumni are physicians, oncologists, lawyers, professors and many other highly successful women. A few of these alumni come back to Stern every year for a panel presentation.
Dr. Wachtell spoke to YU Observer about the annual alumni panel, which she started in 2013. “This is always one of my favorite events of the year. Back then, in 2013, our oldest alumni were barely in their 30s, but they were already so impressive. The honors alumnae are truly a remarkable group.”
One of those alumni is Chana Zuckier (SCW ‘12), an Assistant U.S. Attorney. “Dr. Wachtell’s mentorship was a crucial part of my experience at Stern,” Zuckier told the YU Observer. “Through her leadership, I was exposed to enriching cultural experiences and academic opportunities that broadened my college education far beyond my coursework. My interests and career are less than typical for a Stern student, and I’m grateful to Dr. Wachtell for helping me envision a unique path.”
As both a teacher and director of the honors program, Dr. Wachtell was a beloved mentor to all her students. “Throughout my years in the honors program, whenever I had a conversation with Dr. Wachtell or sent her an email with one of my articles to read, she always responded with such care and consideration,” Emily Goldberg (SCW ‘25) told YU Observer. “She has been a real role model to me throughout my years in the Stern honors program, and I admire the immense dedication she shows all her students on an individual level.”
“It is extremely evident to all just how much she cares about her students and wants them to succeed. She pushes us to be the best versions of ourselves and work hard in our education,” Goldberg added.
Undergraduate Dean Rebecca Cypess noted how hard Dr. Wachtell worked to ensure her students were afforded an educational experience of the highest quality. “[Dr. Wachtell] has been a guiding light and a support for over a thousand of Yeshiva University’s honors students at Stern College, ensuring that they have opportunities to engage in academic and extracurricular experiences that rival those offered by the most elite institutions in the United States,” Dean Cypess told the YU Observer.
Those who took her classes experienced that same commitment and care. “She is definitely a person who exemplifies the phrase actions speak louder than words,” Leora Schramm (SCW ‘26), who took Dr. Wachtell’s Freshman Honors Seminar, told the YU Observer.
“In her English class we had a subject about war propaganda, however Oct. 7th had just taken place. War was a sensitive topic at the time and a student requested if we could possibly switch the topic,” Schramm said. “Without hesitation Dr. Wachtell completely scrapped her lesson plan and switched the topic. This wasn’t the only time where Dr. Wachtell showed immense flexibility and care for the sake of a student’s well being.”
Francesca Sonbolian (SCW ‘26), another student of Dr. Wachtell’s, shared a similar sentiment. “Dr. Wachtell has always been deeply committed to her students and the honors program. Her passion and energy created an environment where students felt genuinely supported,” Sonbolian told the YU Observer. “Her presence will be truly missed, and it was an honor to learn from her.”
Filling Dr. Wachtell’s shoes is no easy task. According to faculty emails from Dean Cypress dated June 4 and July 24, Dr. Shaina Trapedo, Assistant Professor of English at Stern, will be stepping in to fill Dr. Wachtell’s position as director of the honors program, in addition to replacing Dr. Eliezer Schnall as the director of the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College. Dr. Schnall will be taking over as director of the pre-health program at Yeshiva College, replacing Dr. James Camera, who was named associate dean for strategy and operations.
In addition to being an assistant professor at Stern, Dr. Trapedo is also a resident scholar and a recruitment officer at YU’s Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. She has also taught Straus courses at Yeshiva College. Dr. Trapedo carries an M.A. and PhD in English from UC Irvine, and is currently working on a manuscript titled From Scripture to Script: The Hebrew Bible on the Early Modern Stage, exploring the influence that scripture had on the great playwrights of the Renaissance era.
“Dr. Wachtell possesses the rare ability to seamlessly integrate big-picture vision with meticulous attention to detail,” Dr. Trapedo told the YU Observer. “While she was modest about her own successes, she championed her students at every opportunity, celebrating their accomplishments with genuine nachas and taking profound joy in watching them flourish.” She added, “While it is impossible for anyone to fill her shoes, I am deeply honored by this opportunity and hope to continue the exceptional work she began and sustained for nearly a quarter of a century with such grit and grace.”
After 28 years at Yeshiva University, Dr. Wachtell will undoubtedly be missed by many, but her influence through the honors program and her relationships with her students will remain for a long time.
As Dean Cypess said, “Dr. Wachtell’s impact on Stern College will be felt for generations.”
Photo Caption: Dr. Cynthia Wachtell
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University