Wachtell Announces Retirement From YU, Trapedo to Take Over S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program
Cynthia Wachtell, founding director of the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program and research professor of American Studies, announced that she will be retiring from YU on July 31. She will be replaced by Shaina Trapedo who will lead both the Stern Honors Program and the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College.
“I am retiring from the Honors Program and teaching at Yeshiva University,” Wachtell wrote in an email addressed to Honors Program students on July 9. “I stand in tremendous admiration of all of your accomplishments and know that you will continue to forge bright paths for yourselves into the future.”
Wachtell, who has been teaching at Stern College since 1997, graduated summa cum laude from Yale University in 1990 where she received a joint bachelor’s and master’s degree in American Studies. She also holds a master’s degree in English and a doctorate in the History of American Civilization from Harvard University.
While completing her doctorate, Wachtell worked at Stern College as an adjunct professor for one semester, teaching English Rhetoric and Composition. In the fall of 1999, Wachtell founded and became director of Stern’s Honors Program.
As a research professor with a focus on American Studies, Wachtell has taught several unique courses at Stern College including American Playwrights and Their Plays, Jewish American Literature, American Short Story and African American Literature.
Wachtell is also the author of two books: “The Backwash of War: An Extraordinary American Nurse in World War I” and “War No More: The Antiwar Impulse in American Literature, 1861-1914.” She has also written over 25 articles for books, journals and online publications.
Since its establishment in 1999, Stern’s Honors Program has hosted over 400 events under Wachtell’s leadership. These include speaker events and cultural events such as plays, operas and museum visits.
Trapedo, who will assume Wachtell’s role as head of the program, told The Commentator that she is “deeply grateful to the original visionaries, supporters, and previous directors who have built and sustained parallel Honors Programs at Yeshiva University,”
“My aim is to sustain and strengthen the Honors Programs’ ability to offer a transformative educational experience for exceptional students committed to the highest standards of academic excellence by fostering nuanced thinking, effective communication, substantive understanding, and intellectual expansion alongside personal growth,” Trapedo said.
Wachtell told The Commentator that although the Honors Program has “grown steadily” over the last 25 years it “peaked in 2022/2023.”
“That year 100 students entered the program, bringing the total number of students in the program to over 230,” she said. “It was wonderful to have so many SCW students in the program but also very challenging.”
One of Wachtell’s favorite parts of running the program was the annual alumni panel, which she spearheaded in 2013. During the panel, current honors students have the opportunity to ask questions and learn from alumni in a variety of professional fields.
“This is always one of my favorite events of the year,” Wachtell said. “Back then, in 2013, our oldest alumni were barely in their 30’s, but they were already so impressive.”
“Over the course of her distinguished career, Professor Wachtell has inspired countless young minds and nurtured a love for literature in the many students who have enjoyed her courses,” Matt Miller, chair of Stern’s English department, told The Commentator. “In her distinguished publications … she has produced important work, often focusing on anti-war writings, which has exemplified the power of literature to challenge, heal, and illuminate.
“[I]n her tireless work as director of the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program, she has helped our students to discover their best selves and to reach higher in their lives and jobs,” Miller added. “While she will be sorely missed, I wish her all the best in her retirement.”
Ann Peters, an associate professor of English at SCW, shared a similar sentiment.
“I’ve worked with Cynthia Wachtell almost from the day I started working at Stern College,” Peters said. “She has been a wonderful colleague and an amazingly supportive mentor to the honors students. She will be greatly missed.”
“Dr. Wachtell’s class gave me new insight into parts of American theater I never would have thought to study,” Tali Novick (SCW ‘27) told The Commentator. “I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to take her class.”
Brooke Kohl (SCW ‘26) told The Commentator that having the opportunity to attend the various cultural events that Wachtell organized deeply enriched her educational experience at Stern College.
“The Honors Program cultural events were always a highlight, and taught that fun and education are not mutually exclusive,” Kohl said. “In my first year at Stern, we were privileged to see two Broadway shows: ‘Harmony’ and ‘Suffs’ … Their educational aspects only worked to heighten the inherent fun and make the whole experience more meaningful.”
Wachtell’s course responsibilities are set to be transferred, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Photo Caption: Cynthia Wachtell (left) and Shaina Trapedo (right)
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University
