Ten Inducted into Bouchet Honor Society

April 30, 2026

By Katya Hrichak

Ten Cornell doctoral candidates have been inducted into the Cornell chapter of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.

The Bouchet Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and service and promotes excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. Its network of scholars exemplifies academic and personal excellence, character, leadership, service, and advocacy.

Cornell’s Bouchet scholars, along with scholars from institutions around the country, were inducted at the annual Yale Bouchet Conference on Graduate Education hosted by the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in New Haven, Connecticut on April 10 and 11. The theme of this year’s conference was “Historic Milestones and Future Directions: Innovative Strategies to Empower the Next Generation of Scholars.” During the two-day program all 10 of the Cornell scholars gave poster and oral research presentations.

Scholars and their invited mentors and loved ones were also honored at the Cornell Bouchet Scholar Recognition and Celebration on April 23. Remarks on the meaning of the Bouchet Society were provided by Avery August, deputy provost and professor of immunology.

“This year’s Bouchet Scholars represent a breadth of fields and areas of interest, but they all share the same commitment to improving academia and the world around them,” said Sara Xayarath Hernández, associate dean for inclusion and student and faculty engagement. “We are so proud to recognize each and every one of them.”

Cornell’s 2026 Bouchet Scholars:

• Mohammed AlRizqi, doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering
• Cátia Dombaxe, doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering
• Aleesha George, doctoral candidate in chemistry and chemical biology
• Rikki Laser, doctoral candidate in psychological studies and human development
• Chelsea McNutt, doctoral candidate in history
• Shola Onissema-Karimu, doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering
• Natalia Piñeros-Guerrero, doctoral candidate in plant pathology and plant-microbe biology
• Beatrys Fernandes Rodrigues, doctoral candidate in communication
• Leonardo Salgado, doctoral candidate in entomology
• Jason Wu, doctoral candidate in chemistry and chemical biology

“To me, being a Bouchet Scholar represents not only academic excellence, but a commitment to shaping a more inclusive and impactful future in higher education,” said Wu. “Throughout graduate school, it has been a central goal of mine to make a meaningful difference in the community around me by fostering environments where individuals feel supported, valued, and a true sense of belonging, even within traditionally competitive academic spaces.”

Onissema-Karimu also looks forward to using what she’s learned to benefit future students following similar paths.

“I believe my greatest contribution to the Bouchet Society will be continuing the marathon of mentoring the next generation of scientists, empowering them to navigate and break down the unspoken barriers that exist within academia,” she said.

Being inducted into the Bouchet Society connects this year’s scholars to a broader network, enabling them to continue making positive change on a larger scale.

“My experiences at Cornell have shown me that meaningful change happens when we create community,” said Rodrigues. “Organizations such as the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society foster this kind of coalition-building.”

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

Outside of the society’s founding universities, Cornell was among the earliest universities to establish a chapter of the Bouchet Society, inducting its first members in 2006.