Introducing the 2026 Bouchet Society Inductees

Ten Rackham students will be inducted into the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society this year. Named for the first African American doctoral recipient in the United States, the Bouchet Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate.

The Bouchet Society is a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy.

In the spirit of Bouchet’s commitment to these ideals, the 2024 Bouchet inductees representing the Rackham Graduate School’s society chapter have all demonstrated significant achievement in these five areas.

Julianne Armijo is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, a T32 predoctoral trainee supported by the National Institutes of Health, and a family nurse practitioner. Her research examines how sleep and chronotype impact quality of life among adults with bipolar disorder, focusing on employment status and challenges faced by nurses. With 16 years of clinical experience, Julianne advocates for occupational mental health and stigma reduction. She provides primary care to underserved communities at Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti, Michigan, mentors students, and serves as a student leader in the Centre of Research Excellence in Bipolar Disorder Student Network.

Enrica E. Bridgewater is a Ph.D. candidate in the Communication and Media and Developmental Psychology programs at the University of Michigan. She received her bachelor of science in psychology with honors from Brooklyn College in 2018 and her master of science in psychology from U-M in 2023. Her work explores how exposure to entertainment media content impacts identity development, well-being, and stereotype endorsement among people of color. Her research and service have been recognized with the Daniel Katz Dissertation Fellowship by the Institute for Social Research and the Anna Olcott Smith Award by the Rackham Graduate School.

Kayonne Christy is a Ph.D. candidate in sociology, specializing in migration and urban studies. Her dissertation research explores how the transnational practices of the Jamaican diaspora shape ongoing urban transformations in Jamaica’s capital city, Kingston. Kayonne’s research has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the University of Michigan’s International Institute, and has been recognized by the American Sociological Association and the Pacific Sociological Association. She aspires to one day lead a global research institute that produces innovative, usable, and justice–oriented scholarship on migration and urban change in cities across the Global South.

Tasmine Clement is a candidate for the Ph.D. in computational medicine at the University of Michigan, where her research applies genomics to study healthcare-associated infections. An American Society for Microbiology Future Leaders fellow and Michigan Center for Infectious Disease Threats and Pandemic Preparedness trainee, she holds a B.S. from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to her doctoral studies, she gained research experience at the National Cancer Institute. Through the Graduate Society of Women Engineers, she led a professional development conference for women in Liberia, West Africa. Most recently, she received an AstraZeneca award for innovative approaches in oncology care. Tasmine is passionate about improving lives through science and technology.

monét cooper is a poet, teacher-educator, and candidate for the Ph.D. in English and education at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on Black and Latine queer and trans youths’ literacies as the practice of freedom, contemplating how their engagements with their livingness animate liberatory self-making and critical English education. monét’s work has been generously supported through fellowships, awards, and grants from the Rackham Graduate School, National Council of Teachers of English, Learning for Justice Educator Fund, American Educational Research Association, Conference on College Composition and Communication, Hurston-Wright Foundation, Imagining America, and Lambda Literary.

Blake T. Hipsley recently defended his dissertation and will earn his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan. His research investigates the electronic and optical properties of novel semiconductors using nonlinear spectroscopy. Passionate about mentorship, Blake is dedicated to supporting students from diverse backgrounds through the McNair Scholars Program and assisting with their academic goals. At Michigan, Blake helped foster an inclusive and collaborative working environment within the physics department through his leadership roles in the Physics Graduate Student Council and as lead graduate student instructor, receiving the Marcellus L. Wiedenbeck Teaching Award for his impactful teaching and mentorship.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Strehl is a Ph.D. candidate in engineering education research at the University of Michigan and a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow. Her research examines how working class undergraduate engineering students make sense of their experiences within elite engineering programs, centering student voice through participatory and qualitative methods such as photovoice and interviews. Betsy has presented her work at national conferences, including American Society for Engineering Education and Frontiers in Education, and is actively engaged in scholarship on class, ethics, and equity in engineering. She also serves in institutional leadership roles and volunteers in K-12 outreach, advancing equity through research, service, and advocacy.

Emmanuella Ejichukwu is a Ph.D. candidate in industrial and systems engineering with a concentration in human-centered engineering design at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Emmanuella’s research examines student-AI collaboration and learning outcomes. Emmanuella has been recognized for academic excellence and scholarly achievement through her induction into Alpha Pi Mu, the Industrial Engineering Honor Society, and the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society. Emmanuella has worked with the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering to improve course design. She supports a large cohort of engineering students through project-based learning, computational problem-solving, and design activities. She aspires to advance human-centered design and engineering education through research, teaching, and advocacy.

Brittany Puller is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. Her dissertation examines community and religious formations, historical memory, and caste in Sikhism. Brittany is a dedicated graduate student mentor in the Michigan Humanities Emerging Research Scholars Program at the university. In her service to her department, she has implemented programming to improve departmental climate and cultivate an inclusive community. Her advocacy work with the Tricontinental Solidarity Network has also allowed her to collaborate with several organizations to create academic and artistic collectives and organize teach-ins around global imperialist struggles.

Gheremey Edwards is a doctoral candidate in marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. His research examines the costs consumers bear when their identities are threatened or rendered marginal in marketplace contexts. His current work focuses on Black consumers’ protective behaviors shaped through racial socialization, and how these strategies can misfire in ways that extend beyond the shopping experience. While conducting his research, Gheremey has also dedicated his time to strengthening doctoral students’ success. He works with the Rackham Graduate School’s PACE team, using marketing and communications strategy to connect Rackham Merit Fellows to resources and community.