Credit: Christine Holmes/Provided

Nine Cornell doctoral candidates, one postdoc and a professor were inducted into the Cornell chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.

The 2016 Bouchet fellows are: Rodrigo Alatriste-Diaz (development sociology), Jasmine Crumsey (postdoc, ecology and evolutionary biology), Carrie Freshour (development sociology), Danielle Fuentes Morgan (English language and literature), Mariana Giusti-Rodríguez (government), Kenneth Lyons Jr. (materials science and engineering), Ozias Moore (human resource studies), Michael-Paul Robinson (chemical and biomolecular engineering), Ashley Torres (biomedical engineering), and Alexis Walker (science and technology studies).

Additionally, Avery August, professor of immunology and chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, was inducted as a faculty fellow. This was the first year Cornell nominated a faculty member for the honor society.

The scholars were inducted at the annual Yale Bouchet Conference on Diversity and Graduate Education at Yale University, April 1-2. Moore and Lyons gave poster presentations, and Giusti-Rodríguez and Walker gave oral presentations. Two Cornell undergraduates, Claudia Mimoso ’17 and Yohana Ghebrechristos ’17, also presented projects.

The Bouchet Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. Its network of scholars exemplifies academic and personal excellence, character, service, and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy.

“We had a great group of scholars inducted into this prestigious society this year,” said Sara Xayarath Hernández, associate dean for inclusion and student engagement in the Graduate School, who coordinates the Cornell chapter of the Bouchet Society with Christine Holmes, director of Cornell’s Office of Postdoctoral Studies.This year’s inductees are now part of a broader network of scholars at Cornell and across Bouchet member institutions that continue to carry forward the principles of the society throughout their academic and professional lives.

Yale and Howard universities established the Bouchet Society in 2005 to recognize the life and academic contributions of Edward Bouchet, the first African-American to receive a doctorate from a U.S. university; he earned his degree in physics from Yale in 1876.

Sally Kral is a communications assistant in the Graduate School.