Randy Lee and Freya Joëssel are among this year’s six postdocs recognized by the UW–Madison Postdoctoral Association to acknowledge their excellence in mentoring and service.
The association, a volunteer-led advocacy group for UW–Madison postdocs supported by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, launched the Postdoc Excellence Awards in 2021 to reward postdocs for their outstanding efforts in these areas. Awardees were nominated by their colleagues and mentors, with faculty awardees nominated by their current or former postdocs. The awards were announced at the annual Celebration of Postdoc Excellence on May 22.
Randy Lee, postdoc in the Niedenthal Emotions Lab, received the Postdoc Excellence Award in Mentoring. Undergraduate student Zachary Loewenthal shared that “Randy is deserving of this award due to his passion and dedication for mentoring as one of the leaders of our lab. He is always enthusiastic to help any research assistants that approach him for guidance, demonstrating a strong interest in aiding the development of his mentees’ professional skills while stimulating their interest for psychology research.”
Freya Joëssel, postdoc in the Learning and Transfer Lab, received the Postdoc Excellence Award in Service. Lab director C. Shawn Green wrote, “Dr. Freya Joessel has demonstrated sustained, high-impact leadership across multiple institutional governance, advocacy, and outreach groups, repeatedly identifying unmet needs and creating durable programs that strengthen the postdoctoral community and advancing equity and inclusion. Her service extends well beyond campus through science communication and community engagement that meaningfully benefits historically underrepresented groups and the broader Madison community.”
Congratulations to Randy and Freya!