And now, the university has taken note, recently awarding her with the Undergraduate Mentoring Award. The campus-wide honor recognizes faculty members for extraordinary outreach and interactions with undergraduates in research, scholarly, and creative endeavors.

Those who have worked with Vlach, an associate professor with the School of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology, say the award is well deserved. “Haley is always patient and thoughtful in helping students understand proper research methods,” says Megan Kaul, a Ph.D. student and the former manager of  Vlach’s Learning, Cognition, and Development Lab. “But she also takes the time to get to know students individually, often talking with them about their classes.”

Current lab manager Alexis Hosch agrees. “Haley makes it a priority to connect with students,” she says. “She encourages them to gain diverse research experiences and supports them beyond just their academic goals.”

Vlach will be formally recognized at the Friends and Family reception during the 21st annual Undergraduate Symposium at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 12, at Union South’s Varsity Hall. The award consists of a certificate, recognition at the Friends and Family reception, and $2,000 of university expendable funds for your professional activities.

Vlach, who’s a member of the department’s Human Development area, is the second Department of Educational Psychology faculty member to win the Undergraduate Mentoring Award in the past two years.

In 2017, Ed Hubbard, also of the department’s Human Development area, won the award for his work with students in class, his lab, and at the Waisman Center.