2024 BGHS Inductees

The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society recognizes Ph.D. students and alumni who exemplify the legacy of Dr. Edward Bouchet through scholarly excellence, exemplary leadership, and service to society. 

 Miriam Okine Davies / February 21.2024 / News

The 2024 Bouchet Society inductees from Howard University are (top row, from left): Austin Anderson, Tia M. Dickerson, Jonece Layne, Jimisha Relerford, Anaiya Reliford (bottom row, from left): Kirsten Sims, Lauren L. Taylor, Phillip Warfield, Tiffany Wheatland-Disu, Malick Kebe.

Nine Howard University Ph.D. students and one Ph.D. alumni will be inducted into Howard University's chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society at a ceremony on Tuesday, April 2, in Hospital Towers Auditorium on the university's main campus.

The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society recognizes these honorees for their outstanding scholarly achievements, exemplary leadership, and demonstrated commitment to advancing and cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable Academy for all. Dana Williams, Ph.D., Dean of The Graduate School at Howard University commented on the meaning of the honor:

We are proud of the ten honorees and their service, scholarship, and advocacy for issues that matter to the communities they serve. The faculty who has taught and mentored them are also to be lauded for nurturing our scholars' intellectual curiosity and their desire to be change agents for a better world.”

The Bouchet Society, established by Yale and Howard Universities in 2005, honors the life and legacy of Dr. Edward Alexander Bouchet, who made history in 1876 as the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in the U.S.  Miriam Okine Davies, Assistant Dean of Graduate Student Affairs and Enrollment at The Graduate School commented on the continued legacy of Dr. Bouchet:  "Each of our inductees embodies the animating spirit and enduring legacy of the Society’s namesake Dr. Edward Alexander Bouchet, through the impact of their pathbreaking scholarship and the work they are undertaking on behalf of their peers, our communities, and Howard.”

This year’s cohort of honorees were invited to attend an annual conference in April at Yale University, a co-founding chapter of the Society, and will join a national network of peers from the Society chapters at 19 American universities. They will be formally inducted into the Society at a ceremony on Yale's campus.

This year's honorees are:

Austin Anderson

English

Austin Anderson is a Ph.D. candidate in English at Howard University whose work focuses on race, class, technology, and power. Austin’s dissertation is entitled “Racial Recursivity: Play, Blackness, and History in Contemporary Video Games” and explores the use of Blackness as a narrative device in contemporary video games. He received his M.A. in English from New York University, where his thesis explored the consumption of global minorized literature by hegemonic power groups through the case studies of Langston Hughes and Namdeo Dhasal. He received his B.A. in English from Texas Wesleyan University.

His work has been published in academic journals including Popular Culture Review, The Comparatist, and ASAP/J as well as academic edited collections like Bodies of Water in African American Literature, Music, and Film and the forthcoming Routledge’s Victorians and Video Games.  Austin is also the current co-chair for the MLA Committee on the Status of Graduate Students in the Humanities where he advocates for the needs of graduate students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. After completing his Ph.D., Austin aspires to become an assistant professor at a university while continuing to publish on racial ideology in popular culture and turn his dissertation into his first book. Simultaneously, he aims to continue his work in service advocating for the needs of historically marginalized populations in academia, especially scholars of color and scholars from low-income backgrounds.

Tia M. Dickerson

Sociology

Tia M. Dickerson, M.S., is a candidate for a Ph.D. in sociology with a concentration in social inequality and sociology of the family at Howard University. Her research bridges social inequality, family sociology, sociology of race, mass incarceration, and mental health. Tia’s research focuses on the role of structural racism on the health and efficacy of Black families. Her current projects examine how marital status impacts mental health of Black couples, and the relationship between exposure to racism and mental health.

She has also presented work on the association between race, incarceration, and termination of mothers' parental rights, the effect of COVID-19 on families, and the association between mental health outcomes of race-related stress and COVID-19 on Black married individuals. She has published work examining federally funded Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education programs to assess whether they support mental health and economic stability of Black couples. She is also a contributing author the forthcoming volume: 50 Key Scholars of Black Social Thought highlighting the theoretical contributions of Black scholars to the discipline of sociology.  In 2023, Tia was awarded a Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship by the Sociologists for Women in Society for her scholarship and commitment to mentorship of minority students. In 2022, she was elected as a Division Chair for the Family Section of the Society for the Study of Social Problems and was recently appointed to serve on the Mentoring and Inclusion Committee of the Family Division for the American Sociological Association.

Jonece Layne

Counseling Psychology

Jonece Layne is a candidate for a Ph.D. in counseling psychology at Howard University and a clinician providing assessment and intervention services at Children’s National Hospital, where she recently received their Advocating and Supporting Psychology in Research and Education (ASPIRE) Extern Award. Jonece earned her M.S. in child and adolescent developmental psychology from Northcentral University and her A.B. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University, where she was a Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar. She previously received clinical training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Howard University Counseling Service. Additional honors she has earned for her achievements and endeavors include the Frederick Douglass Doctoral Scholars Fellowship and the Howard University SES Diversity Initiative Fellowship.

Her dissertation research focuses on the relationships between positive and negative domains of parenting and the presence of disordered eating symptoms among Black girls and women, with body image and racial identity as potential moderators of those relationships. A secondary focus of that study is Western beauty ideal internalization as a mediator of the relationship between racial identity and disordered eating symptoms. Her prior research has explored additional factors impacting psychological well-being of Black women, including sexual health and intimate relationships. Jonece’s passion for learning began in early childhood, and she has since dedicated herself to providing high-quality education and care to students at all stages of their academic journey. She looks forward to a career of continued service and advocacy in the field of psychology.

Jimisha Relerford

English

Jimisha Relerford is a Ph.D. candidate in English at Howard University. Her research interests include 20th- and 21st-century African diaspora literature, women’s and gender studies, and African American rhetorics. Her dissertation research analyzes humor and satire in Black women’s narrative writing across cultures. Jimisha has published articles in peer-reviewed publications, including CLA Journal, the Langston Hughes Review, and Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men. She is also an experienced instructor, having taught first-year writing and English composition courses for nearly a decade, most recently as a Lecturer and Master Instructor in Howard’s Department of English.  

For her academic and pedagogical work, Jimisha has been recognized with the Conference on College Composition and Communication’s Scholars for the Dream Award, the Digital Media and Composition Institute’s Cindy and Dicky Selfe Fellowship, and the LINKS, Inc. Female Single Head-of-Household Scholarship. Professionally, Jimisha has served as Writing Center Director and as Special Assistant to the Graduate Dean at Howard. She now works as Program Manager for the NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (NCAS-M II) and coordinates the Graduate School's Expository Writing Program. Jimisha is a proud alumna of Howard (B.A., English and Classics) and Georgia State University (M.A., Rhetoric & Composition). She aspires to establish a career at the intersections of academic humanities and project/grants management and to also develop a non-profit organization that provides academic coaching, professional development, and scholarships to college students who are single parents.

Anaiya Reliford

Atmospheric Sciences

Anaiya L. Reliford is a candidate for a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences at Howard University. She graduated with distinction in Chemical Engineering (B.Sc. 2018, M.Sc. 2021) from Howard University. Anaiya's research is a fusion of atmospheric chemistry and cutting-edge remote sensing technology, with a focus on routine in-situ sampling within the Earth's boundary layer.

As a member of the Applied Fluids-Thermal Research Laboratory (@FTERLab), founded by her mentor, Dr. Sonya T. Smith, Anaiya serves as a graduate research assistant. Additionally, she is a NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology-M (NCASM) Fellow. Anaiya mentors undergraduate students, steering them through interdisciplinary experimental and computational research across diverse engineering domains.

An advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM, Anaiya aspires to be a beacon for underrepresented women. Her mission is to serve as a mentor and resource, fostering a supportive community for aspiring women in science and engineering. In essence, Anaiya hopes to seamlessly bridge academia, mentorship, and a commitment to advancing the frontiers of atmospheric sciences.

Kirsten Sims

Atmospheric Sciences

Kirsten Sims is a candidate for a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences at Howard University. Her research involves computational fluid dynamics and thermal management of microelectronics for air and space vehicles. She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.,’13) and a Master of Engineering (M.Eng., ‘19) in mechanical engineering from Howard University.

Kirsten is a graduate research assistant in the Applied Fluids-Thermal Research Laboratory (@FTERLab), established by her advisor and mentor, Dr. Sonya T. Smith. She mentors several undergraduate students whose work focuses on interdisciplinary theoretical and computational research for a variety of engineering applications.

She is a member of several professional societies including the American Meteorology Society (AMS), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE), Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Kirsten’s personal goal is to be a mentor and resource for all students and young professionals, but especially to those traditionally underrepresented in STEM. 

Lauren L. Taylor

Sociology

Lauren L. Taylor is a candidate for a Ph.D. in sociology with a concentration in atmospheric science and public policy at Howard University. Her research utilizes an intersectional lens to understand the community resilience and coping strategies of minorities following wildfire disasters. Lauren has been recognized as a NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Research (NCAS-M II) Fellow, National Community Reinvestment Coalition Scholar, and recently completed a fellowship with the House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Environment subcommittee.

Lauren is an alumnus of Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in sociology, a minor in African American history (2018), and an M.P.A. with a concentration in public policy (2020). Lauren firmly believes in student leadership and has served in various positions throughout her higher education matriculation, currently serving as the Chair of the Graduate Student Assembly and Graduate Student representative on the Board of Trustees. Lauren enjoys working with underserved youth, having served as an assistant director for the WEB Scholars Institute at Princeton University and Program Manager for the STEM Summer Academy with the United Negro College Fund.

Ultimately, Lauren aspires to work at the intersection of community activism and academia, with a passion for helping to empower everyday folks by highlighting their lived experiences.

Phillip Warfield

History

Phillip Warfield is a Ph.D. candidate in United States history with a minor in public history at Howard University. His research focuses on racial desegregation in education, specifically within the context of Seventh-day Adventist religious fundamentalism and its impact on its higher education institutions. These institutions comprise the second-largest education system in the world and Phillip is examining their understudied journey towards desegregation.

Phillip currently holds the position of curatorial intern at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Additionally, he serves as the Project Assistant for the Council of Independent Colleges’ Legacies of American Slavery Initiative. He is also a Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Student Fellow, in conjunction with the National Park Service. In the past, Phillip has worked as an education intern at the DC History Center and as a digital media intern with the French Quarter Museum Association. He is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker, having produced a film for the Pulitzer Center in 2022.

Phillip completed his Bachelor of Arts in history at Southern Adventist University in 2019. During his time there, he served as the Student Association President and played a pivotal role in helping the institution and its administration confront their complex and racist history for the first time. Phillip's ultimate goal is to work in the field of public history and education, utilizing digital storytelling to preserve the legacies of African American and Latino changemakers and their communities.

Tiffany Wheatland-Disu

History

Tiffany Camille Wheatland-Disu is a candidate for a Ph.D. in history with a concentration in African history at Howard University. She is a specialist in 20th-century African and African Diaspora history whose research interests converge on black radicalism, black internationalism, and transnational solidarities toward liberation. Her dissertation examines the transnational dimensions of political thought and praxis inspired by the 1958 All-African People’s Conference in Accra, exploring commonalities and connections between 20th-century black freedom struggles in West Africa and the broader Atlantic world. It engages a particular focus on the collaboration between President Kwame Nkrumah, President Sekou Touré, and political and civil rights activist Kwame Ture in founding the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP).

Tiffany is a member of the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society and recipient of the Ernest E. Just-Percy L. Julian Assistantship and Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship which she currently holds. Since 2013, she has served as a lecturer within the Department of Africana Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City where her love of teaching inspired her to pursue doctoral studies in African history. Tiffany is an alumnus of The University of Iowa (Bachelor of Arts degrees in international studies and political science) and The New School (Master of Arts in international affairs). Upon completion of her Ph.D., she plans to continue researching, teaching, and bridging the intellectual fragmentation that persists in the histories of Africa and its diaspora.

Malick Kebe

Mathematics

Malick Kebe received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Howard University in 2023. He is a mathematician/statistician interested in Extreme Value Statistics, Distribution theory, and dynamical systems. He is also interested in machine learning, language models, time series analysis, and computer vision. He received the 2022-2023 Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the Washington Statistical Society.

He is passionate about democratizing access to top-tier education and cutting-edge research, particularly for students from underprivileged backgrounds. While at Howard, he laid the groundwork for an AI/Machine Learning workshop—a platform designed to demystify complex mathematics-related topics and empower students with practical knowledge and job-ready skills.

He aims to bridge skill gaps within underrepresented communities, cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce prepared for the future. Ultimately, Kebe dreams of seeing every classroom bloom with budding scientists, nurtured by a passion for research and education. He hopes to illuminate the path for students interested in STEM.

Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Induction Ceremony 

Named for the first African American doctoral recipient in the United States (Yale, Physics, 1876), the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (BGHS) promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education. The Society seeks to develop a network of scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for those who have been traditionally underrepresented in the Academy. Each April, a group of nominated Bouchet Scholars is inducted into the Bouchet Honor Society at Howard and the Annual Yale Bouchet Conference held at Yale in New Haven, CT. This annual conference is also a great opportunity for BGHS members to present their research in an interdisciplinary setting.