Tracey Reichert Schimpff Awarded William Wasserstrom Prize
Tracey Reichert Schimpff, associate chair, master’s graduate director and associate teaching professor for the marriage and family therapy (MFT) program in the College of Arts and Sciences’ (A&S’) Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), is the 2026 recipient of the William Wasserstrom Prize for the Teaching of Graduate Students.
Awarded annually to an A&S faculty member who exemplifies the qualities of William Wasserstrom, a beloved professor of English at Syracuse University who died in 1985, the prize honors outstanding success as a graduate seminar leader, research and dissertation director, advisor and role model for graduate students. Wasserstrom was celebrated for his broad learning and deep investment in the graduate seminar experience.
“No More Fitting Recipient”
“Today’s graduate students are tomorrow’s faculty, scholars, researchers and leaders,” says A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi. “The mentors who shape these students are also shaping the trajectory of their fields. Professor Reichert Schimpff exemplifies that responsibility in every dimension of her work. There is no more fitting recipient of this prize.”
Over 17 years at Syracuse, Reichert Schimpff has taught more than 400 graduate students in courses covering ethics, complex trauma, family therapy and clinical supervision. She has guided students through the licensure process with exceptional results: 85% of MFT program alumni have been licensed as marriage and family therapists over the past decade, with 95% of online graduates achieving their credentials. Her research specializes in community violence and trauma; she developed one of the first MFT courses focused specifically on complex trauma and helped establish the Certificate of Advanced Study in Trauma-Informed Practice.
Dyane Watson, professor of practice and HDFS chair, nominated Reichert Schimpff for the award, writing that “in the spirit of Professor William Wasserstrom’s legacy, Dr. Reichert Schimpff cultivates habits of inquiry and reflection that remain with students long after they leave the seminar room.”
One student credited Reichert Schimpff’s teaching with strengthening their “critical thinking and motivation for pursuing our profession.”
Another reflected: “I adore Tracey as a professor and a human being, and have never seen someone who so deeply and genuinely cares about her students.”
Another Ph.D. candidate captured the impact directly: “She has helped me become a more rigorous thinker, a more confident scholar and a more intentional professional. She holds students to a high standard because she believes in the future we are capable of producing.”
Mortazavi presented the award at the Graduate School doctoral hooding ceremony on May 8.
