
Five outstanding scholars at UW–Madison joined the national Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society at an induction ceremony held on March 9.
The Bouchet Society commemorates the first person of African heritage to earn a PhD in the United States. Edward A. Bouchet earned a PhD in Physics from Yale University in 1876. Since then, the Bouchet Society has continued to uphold Dr. Bouchet’s legacy.
“In the spirit of Edward Alexander Bouchet and the scholarship, character, leadership, service, and advocacy he exhibited both inside and outside the academy, inductees into the honor society bearing his name must also exhibit these same outstanding qualities,” said Abbey Thompson, assistant dean for diversity, inclusion, and funding in the Graduate School.
The 2023 UW–Madison inductees to the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society are:
- Lisandra Flores-Aldama, Postdoctoral Fellow in Neuroscience
- Pilar Gauthier, PhD in Counseling Psychology
- Aicha Quamine, PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology
- Adati Tarfa, PhD in Health Services Research in Pharmacy
- Paris Wicker, PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
“This is a great honor for our students and a great way to recognize the achievements they have made already – but, I can tell you, they have many, many more achievements they are going to make throughout their careers,” said Graduate School Dean William J. Karpus. “These are great scholars, great graduate students, and they’re going to be representing UW–Madison out in the world when they finish their degree here and become much more well-known for their scholarly activities wherever they go.”
The Bouchet Society serves as a network for scholars that uphold the same personal and academic excellence that Dr. Bouchet demonstrated. Inductees to the UW–Madison Chapter of the Bouchet Society also join a national network with 20 chapters across the U.S.
The UW–Madison Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement supports each inductee with a professional development grant. The Graduate School also supports new inductees to present at the Bouchet Annual Conference at Yale University, where the scholars further create connections and community within the national Bouchet Society.
Read more about each inductee on the UW–Madison Bouchet Society webpage.