The Thatcher Prize for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Study

Yi-Yun Minnie Tsai Ph.D. ’26 - 2026 Award Recipient

The Thatcher Prize was created in honor of the 21st Chancellor of William & Mary, Margaret, The Lady Thatcher. The award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding student in graduate or professional study. The winner is selected on the basis of scholarship, leadership, character and service. The recipient of the 2026 Thatcher Prize is Yi-Yun Minnie Tsai.

Dr. Tsai, known as Minnie to her friends and colleagues, studied counselor education as a doctoral student at the William & Mary School of Education. In March, she successfully defended her dissertation. Her research explored the use of tabletop role playing game group counseling to support elementary students who have experienced bullying. Dr. Tsai received her first master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania, and her second master’s degree in counseling from Villanova University.

Nominators shared that Dr. Tsai’s “commitment to intellectual growth, research and scholarly contributions sets her apart as a leader in her field.” She co-authored an article with William & Mary’s Dr. Stickl Haugen, recently published in the American School Counselor Association Magazine, which focuses on student safety in today’s digital environment. Dr. Tsai has presented as first author at seven conferences and produced manuscripts tackling the topic of school counselor wellbeing.

Dr. Tsai has held leadership roles oriented towards mentorship and supporting emerging leaders. She has served in numerous professional associations and publications, including the Journal of Counselor Leadership & Advocacy, American Educational Research Association, Asian American Psychological Association and the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.

At William & Mary, Dr. Tsai served as Vice Chair of the Honor Council and as a student ambassador for the School of Education. One nominator stressed that Dr. Tsai’s integrity and “genuine dedication for helping students grow personally and professionally” fueled meaningful reform in how the Honor Council operates. She led recruitment, defined leadership roles and enhanced training opportunities. Dr. Tsai has served as an international peer leader for the Reves Center and as a mentor for first-year Ph.D. students. In 2025, she was awarded the Reves Center International Student Achievement Award.

“Two of the most impressive qualities about Minnie,” writes another nominator, “are her humility and curiosity; to me, these qualities propel her academic excellence.”