Students Pay Tribute to a ‘Quiet Heroine’ of Yale SOM
Rebecca Udler, director of academic affairs and student life, recently received the Quiet Heroine Award from the Yale Working Women’s Network in recognition of her support for and mentorship of students at the Yale School of Management.
Rebecca Udler, Yale SOM’s director of academic affairs and student life, recently received the Quiet Heroine Award from the Yale Working Women’s Network in recognition of her support for and mentorship of students at the Yale School of Management.
The department of Academic Affairs and Student Life, known as AASL, plays a major role in the student experience, in and out of the classroom. Udler and her team organize student orientation, commencement, and everything in between, as well as providing individual support and advice to students as they navigate the Yale SOM academic curriculum, lead student clubs, and put on conferences and other events.
Udler was selected from among a pool of nominees who have distinguished themselves through exemplary service to the university community. Here, students reflect on what Udler’s support has meant to them.
“Rebecca does it all: she plans Orientation, she manages a team that provides much-needed support to students, she sits down with you whenever you need her, she’s the Title IX Working Group leader and coordinator, she’s your champion who celebrates the highs and supports you during the lows. For the past two years, I’ve worked closely with her to create the most impact on Yale SOM because of her encouragement, open-mindedness to new ideas and solutions, and partnership in execution. It’s so wonderful to see her hard work celebrated because a lot of it usually goes unrecognized.”
—Christine Chen ’18
“Throughout my time at Yale, Rebecca has been an endless source of help and inspiration. She empowers students to make their visions a reality and works tirelessly to ensure that they achieve their goals. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from a woman who cares so genuinely about the community she brings together. I can think of no one more deserving for this award than Rebecca!”
—Heather Harrison ’18
“In my past two years as an MBA student I had the opportunity to work with Rebecca on a number of school projects. Rebecca has a cheerful, upbeat, friendly attitude that makes an impact on everyone around her. I always loved crossing paths with her because it brightened my day and I knew she cared about me. In addition, Rebecca handles a lot of complex and delicate issues in her work with SOM’s Academic Affairs and Student Life office, but her genuine concern for the well-being of every member of the SOM community underlies everything she does and is very obviously a core principle in all her work.”
—Nate Whipple ’18