Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society

The Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (BGHS) commemorates Yale alumnus Dr. Edward Alexander Bouchet, a physicist and educator who, in 1876, made history as the first African American to earn a doctorate in the United States. Co-founded by Yale and Howard universities in 2005, the Bouchet Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate.

Howard University BGHS Chapter

Howard BGHS Mission

We seek to develop a national network of scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, who contribute to the advancement of their field(s) of study, and who are committed to applying knowledge to improve the lives and conditions of the communities they serve. Bouchet scholars exhibit the highest values of Howard University through their character, service, scholarship, leadership, and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy. In the spirit of Dr. Bouchet’s commitment to these ideals, inductees into the BGHS must demonstrate significant achievement in these areas.

Bouchet Society Values

Howard University BGHS members are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the academy and in the communities they serve. In the spirit of Dr. Bouchet’s commitment to these ideals and pursuits, Howard BGHS inductees demonstrate significant achievement in the following five areas, which serve as the core values of the Society.

BGHS Core Values

BGHS members exhibit the highest values of Howard through their integrity, honor, exemplary conduct, and behavior. This character may be exemplified through individual emotional courage, principles, endurance, and perseverance. At each member’s core must be an awareness of the importance of contributing and working for the good of society.

BGHS members take their responsibility for their departments and their academic fields of study seriously. They are the embodiment of the ideals of Howard. They not only represent Howard's mission, but they also demonstrate strong initiative. Howard BGHS members play a leadership role in extending access to Howard and graduate education to a wider community by creating and sharing knowledge.

BGHS members advocate for broader access to graduate education and other resources in the academy. Activities might include advocating for the concerns of diverse faculty members and students, serving as a mentor, helping to address the needs of communities, and educating others on issues that may be at the heart of continued inequities and disparities in our society.

BGHS members are committed to the goals of lifelong education as well as the production and dissemination of knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. BGHS members are committed to contributing to the development of their field(s) of study and to the application of knowledge into action that improves the lives and conditions of their communities.

BGHS members are expected to actively contribute to the well-being of society by giving, remaining involved in the community, sharing their personal gifts and talents, and exhibiting commitment to the service of others. Examples of service include participating in an educational program for youth, serving in local or state politics, or volunteering with a local non-profit organization.

BGHS Eligibility & Responsibilities

Membership Eligibility

Membership in the Bouchet Society is a competitive process. Students may nominate themselves for this honor or be nominated by their dissertation advisor or by a Howard graduate faculty member for consideration as an inductee.

To be eligible for membership in Howard’s BGHS chapter, a nominee must:

currently be enrolled in a Ph.D. program at Howard University’s Graduate School and be in good academic standing; students enrolled in other doctorate programs outside of the Ph.D. are not eligible for membership
have successfully completed the coursework as well as qualifying and preliminary exams required for their program, be working on their dissertation, and be within a reasonable time frame of completing their Ph.D. as expected
have a demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, access, and inclusion in higher education, and exemplify the excellence in scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy that Dr. Bouchet exhibited
have demonstrated outstanding promise as a scholar as evidenced by independent investigation, current work on a dissertation project, or research achievement in the humanities, social sciences, or sciences

Member Responsibilities

Members of the BGHS at Howard University are required to:

register for and attend the Annual Yale Bouchet Conference on Diversity and Graduate Education in April in the year that they are inducted into Howard’s BGHS chapter and participate in the BGHS Induction Ceremony at Yale
participate in a Howard University BGHS inductee ceremony and reception (conditions permitting)
be listed on Howard’s BGHS website as a scholar and may be invited to attend BGHS forums and events

Application & Nomination Details

The 2023 application process for Edward Bouchet Honor Society nominees is now open. Doctoral students may nominate themselves for this honor or may be nominated by their dissertation advisor or by a Howard graduate faculty member for consideration as an inductee.

Please click on each item header below to expand the section and review the instructions for completing each aspect of the application. It is each nominee's responsibility to understand what is required for an application to be considered complete.

Application Components:

BGHS self-nomination form (online) (click on the items below for detailed instructions)
Dissertation advisor nomination evaluation form (online) (click on the items below for detailed instructions)
Faculty/mentor nomination evaluation form (online) (click on the items below for detailed instructions)

BGHS self-nomination form (online)

Student nominees must complete the BGHS online self-nomination form. On their self-nomination form, nominees must indicate the individuals providing letters of support for their application. All required application components and application materials must be attached to the nominee's online self-nomination form.

Student nominees must attach a current curriculum vitae (C.V.) or résumé to their BGHS online self-nomination form before submitting it.

Student nominees must attach an unofficial copy of their Howard transcript (capturing all Graduate School coursework taken to date) to their BGHS online self-nomination form before submitting it.

Student nominees must include as part of their BGHS online self-nomination form five (5) short statements (limit to 200 words each) that describe how they embody Dr. Edward Bouchet’s legacy through each of the five (5) BGHS core values of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy (including any experience mentoring students or experience with initiatives that aim to expand access to higher education).

Student nominees must include as part of their BGHS online self-nomination form a short essay response (limit to 250 words) to the question: What are your current and future professional goals, and how do you anticipate you will contribute to the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society?

Student nominees must include as part of their BGHS online self-nomination form a short abstract of their dissertation research project (limit to 300 words), including purpose, background, methods, results (or preliminary results), and conclusions (or preliminary conclusions).

Student nominees must attach a short biographical sketch (limit to 250 words, Times New Roman, 11pt font, single-spaced) to their BGHS online self-nomination form before submitting it. The format for the biographical sketch should include boldface for the student’s name and italic lettering for the field of study. The biographical sketch should be written in the third person and should only include a description of the student’s dissertation research, publications, and awards. The nominee should not have personal non-academic information, like hobbies and interests.

Sample biographical sketch:

Nate Johnson
Chemistry
Nate Johnson is a candidate for the Ph.D. in chemistry with a concentration in medicinal organic chemistry at Howard University. His research focuses on designing, synthesizing, and evaluating novel small molecules as anti-prostate cancer agents. Nate has been recognized as an Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Fellow, Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning Network STEM Education Scholar, and received the Preparing Future Faculty certificate of completion. He also received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Boston College, where he was a recipient of the Corcoran Scholarship. Nate learns and grows with every endeavor and believes in sharing a love of chemistry through his teaching. He has been an avid volunteer with the Community Science fest, a community-directed science literacy effort centered on providing hands-on experiences to DC-area students from pre-K to high school. Ultimately, Nate aspires to work at the intersection of business and science, with a passion for improving lives through science and new technology.

Student nominees should submit the following online nomination evaluation forms to the individuals they have indicated will provide written support. Evaluations must be received electronically by the deadline noted. Student nominees waive their right to view the evaluations/recommendations sent in on their behalf:

Dissertation advisor nomination evaluation form (online), including a letter of support written and submitted by the nominee’s faculty dissertation advisor. The recommendation/letter of support should directly address how the applicant exemplifies each of the core values of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society: scholarship, character, leadership, service, and advocacy.
Faculty/mentor nomination evaluation form (online) including a letter of support written and submitted by a current Howard graduate faculty member, chair, or evaluator with knowledge of the nominee’s leadership, character, service, or advocacy qualities. The recommendation/letter of support should directly address how the applicant exemplifies each of the core values of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society: scholarship, character, leadership, service, and advocacy.

Nomination & Selection Process

Application Due Date

Applications (only complete applications will be considered) must be received on or before the deadline of Sunday, February 26th, 11:59 pm, ET. Student nominees are responsible for ensuring that all the required documentation is submitted on or before the application deadline.

Selection Process & Criteria

Applications (only complete applications will be considered) will be evaluated by the Howard BGHS Committee. The committee will evaluate the alignment of the nominee’s qualifications, interests, and experiences with the mission and core values of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. Up to 10 Howard BGHS scholars will be chosen and recognized at a Graduate School award reception and at the annual Bouchet Society Conference held at Yale University each spring. Preference will be given to those nominees who meet the following selection criteria:

Excellent academic credentials
Outstanding letters of support
Compelling statements/essays that address the BGHS mission and core values
Well-organized dissertation research abstract
Significance of contributions to the nominee’s field of research

2023 Timeline

February 26th, 2023 (11:59 pm, ET): Deadline for online submission of self-nomination form, recommendations/nomination evaluation forms, and supporting application materials
March 2, 2023: Announcement of Howard BGHS new members
March 31, 2023: Bouchet national induction ceremony and annual conference at Yale
April 2023: Howard induction ceremony and award reception (conditions permitting)

Howard Bouchet Scholars

Five Howard University Ph.D. Scholars Inducted into Bouchet Graduate Honor Society
Aug 30, 2022

Howard University Graduate School Announces the 2020 Edward Bouchet Scholars
April 16, 2020

Five Howard University Ph.D. Candidates Inducted into the Edward Bouchet Graduate Honor Society at Yale University
April 17, 2019

The 2022 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Collis A. Brown, Ph.D. Candidate, Pharmacology

Tanya E. Gardner, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

Majella Chube Hamilton, Ph.D. Candidate, History

Bryan M. Jenkins, Ph.D. Candidate, Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

Raina Rhoades, Ph.D., Biology

The 2021 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Chynere Best, Ph.D., Psychology

William Kellon Bubb, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

Kenisha Ford, Ph.D., Physics

Emerald Jones, Ph.D., Sociology

Shannell Thomas, Ph.D., Sociology

The 2020 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

Richmond Danso, Ph.D., Political Science

Akiv Dawson, Ph.D., Sociology

Lourds Michelle Fernando, Ph.D., Biology

Jaimee Swift, Ph.D., Political Science

The 2019 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Adisa Vera Beatty, Ph.D., History

Amber Davis, Ph.D., Social Work

Ashley Lewis, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

DeAnna Nara, Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences

Morgan Smalls, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

The 2018 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Kimberly Monroe, Ph.D., History

Tabia Pope, Ph.D., Communications Sciences & Disorders

Sulare Telford, Ph.D., Communications Sciences & Disorders

Sean Upshaw, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

Alisa Valentin, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

The 2017 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Frances Adomako, Ph.D., Counseling Psychology

Rogi Banks, Ph.D., School Psychology

Lindell Edwards, Ph.D., Educational Psychology

Jasmyn Ledford, Ph.D., School Psychology

Brandale Mills, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

Swetha Parvatheneni, Ph.D., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Komitige Hashanthi Perera, Ph.D., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Denise Rpsier, Ph.D., Political Science

Shadya Sanders, Ph.D., Atmospheric Sciences

Perre L. Shelton, Ph.D., Counseling Psychology

The 2016 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Lauren F. Booker, Ph.D., Psychology

Candice R. Hodge, Ph.D., Sociology

Tyriesa L. Howard, Ph.D., Social Work

Aida Jaldi, Ph.D., Physiology

Julius G. Johnson, Ph.D., African Studies

Grace R. Mavodza, Ph.D., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Keadrick S. K. Peters, Ph.D., Sociology

Houra Taheri, Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences

Leticia D. Williams, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

The 2015 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Danyelle T. Brown-Willis, Ph.D., Educational Psychology

Christopher Cross, Ph.D., Anatomy

Onochie Dieli, Ph.D., Economics

Monica Goldson, Ed.D., Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Zuleka Henderson, Ph.D., Social Work

Heather Key, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology

Denna Kowalek-Geppi, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

Brianna P. Lemmons, Ph.D., Social Work

Vanessa Oyugi, Ph.D., African Studies

The 2014 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Kelechi C. Anyanwu, Ph.D., Counseling Psychology

Maurice B. Fluitt, Ph.D., Genetics

Mamatha Garige, Ph.D., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Christina Nicole Johnson, Ph.D., Microbiology

Tinita Ortega, Ph.D., Communication Sciences & Disorders

Shaina N. Reid, Ph.D., Anatomy

Tiphané Turpin, Ph.D., Mass Communication & Media Studies

Melvin L. Williams, Ph.D., Communication, Culture, & Media Studies

The 2013 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Crystal M. Adkisson, Ph.D., Mass Communications & Media Studies

Ashantie Alford, Ph.D., African Studies

Wallis C. Baxter, Ph.D., English

Aamira Chaney, Ph.D., African Studies

Belinda R. Hauser, Ph.D., Genetics

Devlon Jackson, Ph.D., Communications & Culture

Malik D. Lewis, Ph.D., Chemistry

Stella-Monica N. Mpande, Ph.D., Mass Communications & Media Studies

Reema Puri, Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences

Bethtrice Thompson, Ph.D., Biology

The 2012 cohort members of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society include:

Luli Akinfiresoye, Ph.D., Pharmacology

Dondra Bailey, Ph.D., Biology

Dwayne Brown, Ph.D., Pharmacology

Jau-Yon Chen, Ph.D., African Studies

Valerie Cousins, Ph.D., Genetics

Ronya D. Foy, Ph.D., Social Work

Lydia Kakwera Levy, Ph.D., African Studies

Adrian Thompson, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology

Willie J. Thompson, Jr., Ph.D., Sociology