The Graduate School at the University of Wisconsin–Madison welcomed five outstanding scholars into the university’s chapter of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society this academic year:
- Virginia Downing, PhD student in Educational Policy Studies
- Tracy C. Guan, PhD student in Counseling Psychology
- Lisa Je, PhD student in Chemical & Biological Engineering
- Dorothy Lsoto, PhD student in Environment & Resources
- Orion Risk, PhD student in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies
The Bouchet Society celebrates the legacy of Dr. Edward Alexander Bouchet, who in 1876 was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in the United States. The society aims to build a community of scholars who demonstrate academic excellence, foster supportive environments, and serve as leaders and advocates for students traditionally underrepresented in academia.
“It is a great honor to get to know these outstanding doctoral students and future leaders,” said William J. Karpus, dean of the Graduate School. “I am in awe of their passion and talent, as well as their innovative contributions to scholarship and research. They embody the values of Dr. Bouchet and of the society, as well as the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea.”
This marks UW–Madison’s 15th year participating in the Bouchet Society. Since its inception, 75 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars have been inducted into the university’s chapter.
“We’re profoundly pleased with the longevity of this program,” states Abbey Thompson, assistant dean in the Graduate School. “Our past inductees have gone on to launch brilliant careers. We are extremely proud of our new inductees for their outstanding contributions to their academic disciplines and positive impact on those around them.”
The Graduate School celebrated the new Bouchet Society inductees on December 2 at the Pyle Center. Each scholar was introduced by a mentor or member of their academic community and received a medallion and sponsorship certificate as they became part of a national community spanning 20 chapters across the United States. The inductees are invited to present their work at the Bouchet Annual Conference at Yale University in the spring.
Read more about the inductees below.
Virginia Downing
PhD, Educational Policy Studies
Virginia Downing is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Educational Policy Studies with a doctoral minor in Qualitative Research Methodology in Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Downing currently is a Morgridge Center for Public Service Community-Engaged Scholarship Fellow. Downing’s research, teaching, and service are motivated to address: How do people, spaces, and policies lead to affirming and equitable schooling experiences for Black youth? Downing utilizes qualitative methodologies and critical theory to explore Black community engagement, community-school relationships, and the role of community-based spaces in education. Recent publications include Resisting racialized organizational practices: A case study of Black community-centered engagement published in Equity & Excellence in Education (2024), which utilized meeting ethnography to illuminate how Black community members engage within school board meetings. Additionally, Downing and two colleagues published a chapter titled Community-Based Education (2024) that argued for the importance of relationship building to sustain community power through the context of a youth-led activism organization. Through a year-long critical qualitative study that draws on ethnographic methods, her dissertation offers insights into Black community-school district relationships by exploring Black community member engagement. Her work expands ideas on the role of community stakeholders in education policy. Downing’s current research has been recognized by the National Academy of Education NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship (2024 Finalist and Alternate) and received funding through the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education Policy Engagement Grant.
Tracy C. Guan
PhD, Counseling Psychology
Tracy C. Guan (she/her/hers) is a Hoipen Chinese American Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From San Francisco, she earned her BA in Psychology and Social Behavior and Education Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, and her MS in Counseling at UW-Madison. Her scholarship advocates for the wellness of pan and ethnic-specific Asian American college students. Her dissertation focuses on critical incidents and gendered racism for East Asian American doctoral women in health psychology training programs. She is deeply committed to disrupting white supremacy pedagogy across multiple contexts of training (e.g., teaching, advising, supervision) and creating liberatory training environments. She has worked diligently to add to the dearth of literature on Asian Americans in higher education focusing on Asian American ethnic subgroups publishing in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education and Asian American Journal of Psychology. She published one of the first quantitative studies for Chinese American undergraduate women who are the first generation born in the U.S. To recognize her study’s advancement to the field’s knowledge of people of color, race, ethnicity, and racism, Tracy was awarded the 2021 Outstanding Contribution to Scholarship on Race and Ethnicity Award Counseling Psychology Division 17: Section of Racial Ethnic Diversity from the American Psychological Association (APA). Most recently, Tracy was awarded the 2024 Student Pioneer Award from the APA’s Division 35 Section 5 (Asian Pacific American Women) to recognize her contributions and service to support the mission and growth of AAPI Feminists.
Lisa Je
PhD, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Lisa (they/she) is the proud daughter of two immigrants living their American dream through Lisa’s education. As Lisa enters their final year in the Chemical & Biological Engineering Department at UW-Madison, they reflect on overcoming their previous obstacles. Despite lacking computational experience, they first joined Prof. Manos Mavrikakis’s group to study catalysis using computational calculations. However, it was only after they completed a master’s degree and left graduate school that they truly realized their passion for research. This drove them to co-author a Science paper (Science, 380, 70-76, 2023) based on their master’s work. With renewed determination, they successfully reapplied to the PhD program, was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and now work with Prof. Reid Van Lehn and Prof. Victor Zavala. Their resilience in their PhD on computational materials has resulted in another publication (Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering, 36, 100796, 2022). Empowered by their unique PhD experience, they now strive to cultivate a research environment inclusive and welcoming for students of all identities. They do this by serving on the Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association (ChEGS) and Graduate Engineering Research Scholars (GERS) in several roles over the past few years for outreach, mental health education, and recruiting to bring underrepresented undergraduate scholars across the nation to visit UW-Madison’s college of engineering.
Dorothy Lsoto
PhD, Environment & Resources
Dorothy Lsoto is a PhD candidate in Environment and Resources at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, where she earned her MSc. Originally from Uganda, she holds a BA in Environmental Management from Makerere University, Kampala. Her research interests span air quality, health, equity, and renewable energy. Her dissertation supervised by Dr. Jonathan Patz examines air quality disparities resulting from persistent colonial-era racist city designs in Africa with a case study of Kampala. This work has led to a publication currently under review and has been featured in Ugandan media. Lsoto designed and teaches a senior capstone course titled “Air Quality and Equity in an African City” at the Nelson Institute under the supervision of Dr. Aleia McCord. She also contributed to Uganda’s first National Environment (Air Quality Standards) Regulations (2024) and the Kampala Clean Air Action Plan (2022). Committed to increasing diversity in higher education, Lsoto supervised by Dr. Erika Marín-Spiotta through the Mellon HEAL STEMM Working Group, has contributed to a chapter titled Interrogating the Academy: Critical Approaches to Engaged Pedagogy, Advising, and Mentorship and the ADVANCEGeo Partnership website, Empowering (geo)scientists to transform workplace climate, microaggressions. Lsoto volunteers with Geneva Campus Church at West High School in Madison, helping minority and low-income students with college applications, and mentors underrepresented high school students interested in STEMM. With a 5% acceptance rate, Ms. Lsoto is a 2024 UCAR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Next Generation Fellow. She also received the 2024 Charlotte Zieve Scholarship at the Nelson Institute.
Orion Risk
PhD, Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies
Orion Risk is a PhD candidate in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a doctoral minor in Journalism and Mass Communication. Their research, utilizing artistic and humanistic methods, delves into three key areas: (1) the connection between care and performance, (2) transgender theatre and performance, and (3) how media narrates creative protest. Their interdisciplinary dissertation transforms the concept of care from abstract to embodied action intertwined with neglect, aiming to influence performance practice, political thinking, and public action. Orion’s practice-based scholarship through the UW Center for the Humanities investigated virtual theatre and care among transgender people during the COVID-19 pandemic. An article for Performance Research investigates this research to uncover insights into care, vulnerability, and performance. A recent publication in Latin American Theatre Review showcases trans time in the Mexican political cabaret performance “La Prietty Guoman.” Orion’s advocacy for trans communities has been honored by the Pfund Foundation, UW’s GLBT Alumni Council, and the Center for Research on Center and Women. With over a decade of experience as an artist and arts administrator, Orion’s creative trajectory has been honored with the Lyman S.V. Judson and Ellen Mackechnie Judson Graduate Student Award in the Creative Arts. They hold dual MA degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies; Gender and Women’s Studies) and a BA in culture and performance from the University of Northern Iowa. Orion is a member of the UW Ethics of Care Initiative.