Graduate School announces 2026 Peer Mentor Award winners
Six graduate students have received Peer Mentor Awards from the Graduate School. The Graduate Student Peer Mentor Awards recognize graduate students who exhibit stellar mentorship qualities.
The 2026 Peer Mentor Award winners are:
- Stephanie Adler
- Vu Ngoc Huong Tran
- Ishan Vengurlekar
- Benjamin Lebovitz
- Ellie Kincaid
- Yang Liu
Stephanie Adler
Stephanie is a PhD candidate in the Department of Kinesiology whose work centers on equity-driven mentorship and community building. As President of the KinEqT Mentorship Program, she leads a department-wide initiative that strengthens connections between undergraduate and graduate students. Through healthcare career exploration panels with program faculty and current students, as well as professional development workshops, the program expands access to mentorship, guidance, and professional development opportunities that help students navigate their academic and career paths with confidence.
In her doctoral research, Stephanie examines clinical onboarding in athletic training and is developing a stakeholder-informed framework to help students feel more prepared, supported, and connected as they enter clinical practice. Across her teaching, service, and scholarship, she is guided by the belief that mentorship is a transformative force that fosters belonging, shapes professional identity, and enables students to thrive.
Vu Ngoc Huong Tran
Vu Ngoc Huong Tran is a doctoral candidate in the Pharmaceutical Sciences program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy. Her research sits at the intersection of neuroscience, analytical chemistry, and pharmaceutical sciences. Her primary expertise lies in utilizing advanced mass spectrometry to discover and quantify novel neuropeptides, which are critical signaling molecules within the nervous system, in both relatively simple crustacean neural circuits and the more complex rat models under various environmental and pathological conditions. She has been a research mentor for many junior members of the Li lab, ranging from beginning graduate students and undergraduate students to a high school student. Her mentorship centers on empathy, trust, and collaboration, providing mentees with opportunities to learn and contribute to meaningful scientific research while celebrating their growth and encouraging them to become independent innovators. She is committed to fostering a supportive research environment where young scientists can develop confidence, curiosity, and a lasting passion for scientific discovery.
Ishan Vengurlekar
Ishan Vengurlekar is a School Psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Broadly, Ishan’s research interests center on early intervention for youth with elevated mental health challenges. He is particularly interested in leveraging and optimizing brief mental health interventions in schools to a) reduce the burden on school staff and b) ensure every student with heightened concerns receives treatment. Ultimately, he hopes to revamp mental health interventions to be more cost-effective, flexible, and accessible as a method to mitigate the needs-access gap in youth mental health treatment. Ishan is also strongly passionate about mentoring. Throughout his graduate training, Ishan has mentored several undergraduate students interested in pursuing doctoral psychology programs. He is especially invested in providing mentorship to marginalized or minoritized students who may have fewer mentorship opportunities and reduced access to professional resources. To meet his mentees’ needs, Ishan often employs a developmental model of mentorship, tailoring feedback, instruction, and guidance depending on the skills and goals of each mentee. Ishan will begin his predoctoral internship at the Munroe Meyer Institute as part of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he will specialize in the research on and provision of school mental health services. He looks forward to continuing his mentoring work throughout his internship and career.
Benjamin Lebovitz
Ben Lebovitz (they/he) is a PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis and an Institute of Education Sciences Predoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Their scholarship investigates how educational leadership, politics, and organizational practices shape opportunities, belonging, and well-being for LGBTQ+ and other marginalized youth. Drawing on experience as a high school teacher and Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) advisor, Ben’s research examines how supportive adults, inclusive school environments, and policy contexts influence student well-being and institutional belonging. Their work centers on how educators and leaders can create affirming, equitable conditions for marginalized youth.
A former Arizona Teacher of the Year finalist, Ben is deeply committed to mentorship as an integral part of education, making the hidden curriculum of academia visible and building networks of peer and mentor support through writing groups, peer mentorship structures, and graduate professional development programming. Their recent service has included leadership in their department’s graduate student organization, LEADS, and national professional organizations, including the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Ben continues to partner with schools, professional organizations, and community groups to translate research into practice through workshops, leadership institutes, and research-practice partnerships that extend mentorship and scholarship beyond the university in supporting educators and emerging scholars in building more inclusive, affirming educational environments.
Ellie Kincaid
Ellie Kincaid is a PhD student in English literary studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Their research in queer and trans ecologies considers the relationships between queer/trans people and the outdoors through the form of adventure memoirs. Ellie is a founding member of the Trans Natureculture Collective, a Borghesi Mellon Workshop for interdisciplinary study, an editor at the environmental humanities magazine Edge Effects, and a winner of the UW–Madison Early Excellence in Teaching Award.
They are proud to work with students as an English 100 instructor, a writing instructor in the Writing Center and the Madison Writing Assistance program, and a career advisor to undergraduate English majors. Ellie’s research, teaching, and mentorship are driven by the core values of access, belonging, and community. They center underrepresented students, build relationships across difference, prioritize racial and linguistic justice, and most of all, they listen to and learn from students.
Yang Liu
Yang Liu is a PhD candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UW–Madison, where he develops advanced heterostructures to create electronic devices that surpass conventional physical limits. Remembering his own undergraduate journey—where he possessed intense curiosity but lacked the relatable peer guidance and hands-on autonomy he sought—Yang is dedicated to being the “interlayer” for the next generation. He serves as a bridge, leading students as they navigate the challenging transition from textbook theory to hands-on cleanroom fabrication.
Yang’s mentorship philosophy is built on a “peer-to-peer” dynamic, fostering a sense of belonging that allows students to see themselves as scientists rather than just lab assistants. By fostering “troubleshooting grit” and treating mentees as genuine research partners, he has mentored 10 undergraduate students, inspiring many to pursue PhD degrees at top-tier graduate schools. For Yang, the most impactful moment of mentorship is when a student stops seeking the “correct answer” from him and starts leading the mentor toward a solution. He is honored to help build the next generation of resilient, independent engineers and researchers who will rise to lead the scientific breakthroughs of tomorrow.