2025 BGHS Inductees

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

 Miriam Okine Davies / February 20.2025 / News

The 2025 Bouchet Society inductees from Howard University are (top row, from left): Kafilat Agbaje, Ama Appiah-Kubi, Devon Brown, Darnell Davis, Shantol Graham-Hyatt, (bottom row, from left): Deanna Hayden, Troy Kearse, Abigail Oyekola, Tess Starman, Qyana Stewart.

Ten Howard University Ph.D. students will be inducted into Howard University's chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society at a ceremony on Wednesday, April 3, 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:

Kafilat Agbaje

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Kafilat Agbaje, candidate for the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, is a champion for advancing drug discovery through her innovative research on designing, synthesizing, and formulating drug delivery systems for colorectal cancer treatment.

Kafilat is a Howard University Graduate School Ambassador and actively supports student engagement and mentorship. She also volunteers as a Neighborhood Health Ambassador with the George Washington Cancer Center, where she participates in community education and outreach programs. 

Kafilat has been accepted into the Howard, Hampton, and Morgan Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Fellowship and is completing the Preparing Future Faculty certificate. She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in pharmacognosy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, where she graduated at the top of her class and received nine academic awards, including Best Dissertation in Pharmacognosy. 

She is currently a teaching assistant in the Department of Chemistry at Howard University, where she assists students in laboratory coordination and coursework. A passionate researcher and aspiring educator, Kafilat is committed to mentoring future pharmaceutical scientists and advancing drug discovery through innovative research. 

Ama Appiah-Kubi

Communication, Culture and Media Studies 

Ama Appiah-Kubi, candidate for the Ph.D. in Communication, Culture and Media Studies, is pushing the bounds of feminist research, gender studies, and media and cultural studies by advancing our scholarly understanding of Black women and Black queer people’s discursive engagement with different forms of media.

Ama's research explores their representations, representational activism, resistance, and worldmaking online and through popular culture. She also studies the discursive praxis of feminist/womanist and social movements online. 

Ama was a recipient of the 2024 Summer HBCU Fellowship at V-Tech Solutions Inc. She holds a Master of Arts in African studies and a Graduate Certificate in women, gender, and sexuality studies from Ohio University, as well as a Master of Philosophy in communication and media studies from the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. Additionally, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and adult education from the University of Ghana. 

Her work has appeared in The Oxford Handbook of Media and Social Justice. Her current research focuses on Ghanaian feminist organizations and performance activism as a decolonial and intersectional feminist praxis. Ama hopes to use her work to challenge heteropatriarchal and heteronormative standards with the goal of social transformation and justice.

Devon L. Brown 

Computer Science 

Devon Brown, candidate for the Ph.D. in Computer Science, is a foreign affairs leader whose contributions to the field include providing critical support in crisis management and intelligence analysis for senior national security officials and advancing trustworthy AI systems for ethical national security decision support.

Devon's contributions to the field include peer-reviewed publications in Æther: A Journal of Strategic Airpower & Spacepower, as well as ongoing IRB-approved research on dynamic sentiment analysis for AI/ML applications using novel methodologies. As a GEM Fellow at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Devon developed an approach to improve RFID localization aboard the International Space Station, leading to a technology transfer to NASA. 

His leadership extends beyond research, serving on the advisory board of his alma mater and mentoring emerging professionals in STEM and foreign affairs. His commitment to service is demonstrated through his work as a Peace Corps Volunteer and other community-based initiatives that promote educational equity and technological accessibility. 

In his diplomatic career, Devon served in multiple overseas assignments as a Diplomatic Technology Officer in the U.S. Foreign Service. He serves as a Duty Officer in the White House Situation Room, where he provides critical support in crisis management, global situational awareness, and intelligence analysis for senior national security officials. A recipient of the State Department’s Superior Honor Award and multiple Meritorious Honor Awards, Devon embodies the pillars of scholarship, leadership, service, and advocacy. As an aspiring Bouchet Scholar, he remains dedicated to advancing trustworthy AI systems for the ethical application of emerging technologies in global security.

Darnell Davis

Biology

Darnell Davis, candidate for the Ph.D. in Biology specializing in molecular virology, is leading pathbreaking research to enhance public health responses by improving the accuracy of viral detection methods for RNA viruses, particularly coronaviruses, by targeting the negative RNA strand to distinguish between active and inactive infections. 

Darnell's work aims to enhance public health responses by improving the accuracy of viral detection methods. Darnell has co-authored a publication titled "A New Approach for Active Coronavirus Infection Identification by Targeting the Negative RNA Strand—A Replacement for the Current Positive RNA-based qPCR Detection Method," available on bioRxiv. Throughout his academic career, Darnell has received several awards and recognition for his scholarship. 

In 2023, the Kennedy Krieger Institute honored him with the Edith Hambie and W. Ruth Pruitt Excellence in Public Health Award. Additionally, he has been acknowledged as a Robert E. McNair Scholar and has earned certifications in various areas, including infectious disease transmission models and epidemiology in public health practice. Beyond his research, Darnell has been a graduate teaching assistant at Howard University since 2022, where he fosters collaborative learning environments for students from diverse backgrounds. 

He is also actively involved in professional organizations such as the American Society for Cell Biology. He has contributed to public health initiatives through fellowships with the Association of Public Health Laboratories and the Dr. James A. Ferguson RISE Fellowship Program. Darnell’s dedication to advancing molecular virology and public health and his commitment to mentorship and service underscores his potential to make significant contributions to the scientific community.

Shantol Graham-Hyatt

Microbiology 

Shantol Graham-Hyatt, candidate for the Ph.D. in Microbiology, is advancing research that merges molecular biology techniques with physiological analytical tools, such as Novel Object Recognition, to investigate APOE influence on the gut microbiota, biomarkers of the brain, and adaptation induced by exercise.

Shantol's research focuses on the APOE influence on the gut microbiota, biomarkers of the brain, and adaptation induced by exercise. Shantol earned a BSc from Lincoln University, Missouri in 2019 and started her Ph.D. in microbiology at Howard University that same year. 

At Howard, Shantol wears several hats, which include her service as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Graduate School Ambassador, and student mentor. She was recently awarded the Howard University Ernest E. Just-Percy L. Julian Graduate Fellowship. 

Shantol’s research combines molecular biology techniques with physiological analytical tools, such as Novel Object Recognition. She has also presented her research findings at several conferences, including the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) conference. After completing her Ph.D., Shantol intends to work for the Center for Disease Control and later complete her clinical microbiology training.

Deanna Hayden

Communication, Culture and Media Studies 

Deanna Hayden, candidate for the Ph.D. in Communication, Culture and Media Studies, is an advocate for inclusive representations of philanthropy in media and academia. She has served as a delegate at reparations and racial healing convenings in Bellagio, Italy; Accra, Ghana; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she engaged with scholars on restorative justice and allyship.

Deanna 's dissertation, entitled “I Ain’t Lying: Exploring the Intersections of Media, Community, and Philanthropy in the Rural Mississippi,” examines how marginalized communities utilize media as philanthropy to challenge mainstream narratives and address concerns stemming from racial, economic, and social injustices. Deanna’s dissertation advocates for inclusive representations of philanthropy in media and academia. Her broader work focuses on articulating diverse community experiences and proposing solutions to inequities in organizational cultures. 

In 2025, Deanna’s research entitled “We Are Supreme: Twitter Reactions to the US 2022 SCOTUS Judiciary Committee Hearing” was featured in SAGE’s Video Media, Communication, and Cultural Studies Collection. She is a co-author in a forthcoming volume of Women’s Leadership in Popular Culture, with a chapter entitled “The Servant Mammy: Reading Lovecraft Country’s Hippolyta Freeman Circumvents Through Servant Leadership Approach” (2025). Along with her publication, Deanna has presented research on race, gender, and media at the 2023 National Communication Association and Eastern Communication Association Conferences. 

As a graduate assistant to Nikole Hannah-Jones, she served as a student delegate at reparations and racial healing convenings in Bellagio, Italy (2022), Accra, Ghana (2022), and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2023), engaging with scholars on restorative justice and allyship. Deanna currently serves as a research consultant for the Payne Center for Social Justice Research, focusing on redressing historical inequities between HBCUs and PWIs through philanthropy, strategic investment, and academic research.

Troy A. Kearse Jr.

Social Psychology

Troy Kearse, candidate for the Ph.D. in Social Psychology, is a leading scholar, studying intersectional stereotyping, stigma, and health toward and among minoritized communities. In the fall of 2025, he will be Assistant Professor of Diversity Science within the Department of Psychology at Towson University.

Troy is a research affiliate at the Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative. Taking an intersectional approach, he is interested in understanding how others’ multiple identities shape people’s impressions, stereotypes, and interactions with them. In his dissertation, he takes a multi-methods approach to examine how and when health stereotypes are uniquely associated with Black, gay men, both spontaneously and in language formation. 

His work has been funded by the American Psychological Foundation. Troy is the current recipient of the Springfield Research Fund Dissertation Fellowship Grant and a past recipient of the Ronald E. McNair Graduate Fellowship (2020-2023) and Ernest E. Just-Percy L. Julian Graduate Fellowship (2023-2024). 

Troy is passionate about service to the academic community and fellow graduate students at Howard University. He served as secretary of the Graduate Student Council within the Graduate School at Howard. At the national level, he served as the Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the student committee of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), and the Chair of the Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity within the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS). Troy aspires to continue his research in the professoriate, studying intersectional stereotyping, stigma, and health toward and among minoritized communities. 

Abigail Oyekola

Electrical Engineering 

Abigail Oyekola, is a candidate for the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. Her research investigating the feasibility and performance of Terahertz band communication systems for next-generation communication networks is an area poised to revolutionize future wireless communication technologies.

Abigail has earned several recognitions, including the New Zealand Development Scholarship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Study from the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). She also received the AUT EDGE Award for her exceptional achievements in service and leadership, as well as the Certificate of Leadership from the IEEE AUT Student Branch. 

She holds a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical and electronics engineering from Bells University of Technology, Nigeria, where she was honored with the Certificate of Recognition for her role as the Welfare Secretary of the Engineering College. Additionally, Abigail earned a Master of Engineering in electrical engineering from Auckland University of Technology. 

Abigail’s dedication to fostering innovation in underrepresented communities is demonstrated in her research scholarship, mentorship, teaching and volunteerism. Ultimately, Abigail aspires to bridge the gap between science and business, creating transformative solutions through cutting-edge technology, community engagement, and advocacy.

Tess Starman

Sociology

Tess Starman, candidate for the Ph.D. in Sociology, is leading timely research investigating the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and power at the nexus of religion and political attitudes and engagement. Her current work examines the religious exiting process and non-religious identity formation of ex-Christians.

Tess studies progressive Christian attitudes, religious exiting, and religion’s impact on political attitudes and engagement. Her dissertation, entitled, “A Corrupted Faith: The Role of Power in the Process of Christian Disaffiliation and Rise of the Religious Nones,” examines the religious exiting process and non-religious identity formation of ex-Christians. 

Tess serves as the Research Assistant for Howard University’s Initiative on Public Opinion. She is the co-chair of the American Sociological Association’s Student Advisory Board, serves on the Pedagogy Committee of Sociological Forum, and is a gender and sexuality editor for Religious Studies Review.

Qyana Stewart

Higher Education Leadership and Policy 

Qyana Stewart, candidate for the Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy, is an executive coach and educational research consultant committed to advancing women in STEM. Her scholarship highlights the history of prominent Black women academics who were also entrepreneurs, uncovering how their legacies have shaped the pathways for contemporary Black women academics transitioning into technology entrepreneurship.

Qyana is the first scholar to investigate these phenomena. Qyana has been recognized as a Center for Black Entrepreneurship Fellow and a Senior Teaching Fellow for the Leadership Academy, a STEM program in partnership with the Women in Public 

Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Institute of Diversity Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Specialist Award from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which recognizes her passion and commitment to advancing women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

A dedicated mentor, she is passionate about sharing her lived and learned experiences. She currently serves as a business executive coach for the Ward Infinity Accelerator and as an educational research consultant in the School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. As an advocate, she authored a research report titled Persistence and Resistance: Black Women Navigating Barriers in Higher Education, highlighting Black women’s commitment to economic and social advancement through education. Qyana holds a Master of Science in information technology and a Graduate Certificate in project management from the University of Maryland University College, and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Howard University.

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.