Five outstanding graduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison were welcomed into the university’s chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society April 2 in a ceremony attended by family, friends, and mentors.
The 2019 inductees are Folagbayi Arowolo (Molecular and Environmental Toxicology), Roxanne Etta (Human Development and Family Studies), Pa Her (Counseling Psychology), Jamila Lee-Johnson (Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis), and Esteban J. Quiñones (Agricultural and Applied Economics).
All are UW–Madison PhD candidates who exemplify the five Bouchet Society qualities of character, leadership, advocacy for those traditionally underrepresented in the academy, service, and scholarship.
“The graduate students we are honoring today represent excellence in research, scholarship, education, and leadership on our campus,” said Graduate School Dean William J. Karpus. “These individuals are making key contributions to their disciplines, as well as to the research, education, and outreach missions of our campus. They truly embody the Wisconsin Idea.”
The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society is named for Edward A. Bouchet, who was the first African American to earn a PhD in the U.S. when he earned his doctorate in physics in 1876. The society’s purpose is to recognize outstanding scholarly achievement by graduate students and postdoctoral scholars and create a national network for these scholars.
The UW–Madison Graduate School supports new inductees to travel to the Bouchet National Induction Ceremony and Annual Conference, where the scholars further create connections and community within the national Bouchet Society. Additionally, the UW–Madison Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement supports each inductee with a monetary award. Deputy Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Patrick J. Sims congratulated the inductees during the ceremony.
“The scholarship, the provocative possibilities, the seeds that you all are sowing for those that are coming behind you, that’s exactly what Edward Alexander Bouchet did when he received his first PhD,” Sims told the scholars. “You are continuing that rich tradition of setting others up for success, and I so commend you for all of the good work that you’ve done and all the amazing work that I know you’re going to continue to do.”
Read more about each inductee on the UW–Madison Bouchet Society webpage.
Photos
2019 Bouchet Society inductees are pictured with Graduate School Dean William J. Karpus and Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Funding LaRuth McAfee.
