Ten Johns Hopkins University PhD students and postdoctoral researchers were inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society during a ceremony on May 6. Naomi Rankin, PhD candidate in the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, was among those recognized.
The Bouchet Society is a network of higher education scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students and trainees in the academy. It is named after Edward Alexander Bouchet, the first African American doctoral recipient in the United States.
Rankin’s research focuses on data-driven infectious disease modeling utilizing non-traditional datasets to address health disparities within disease dynamics, including COVID-19 forecasting using wastewater-based epidemiology. She has served as president of the JHU Black Graduate Student Association and mentored youth in pathways to STEM and higher education through THRIVE, Thread, and NSBE.
Rankin has been recognized as a Vivien Thomas Scholar, a Karsh STEM Scholar, and a James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Fellow, and has been the recipient of the James A. Donaldson Prize for Excellence in Research, the National Academies of Medicine DC Public Health Case Challenge Wildcard Award, the Alaine Locke Scholar Award, and the Whiting School’s Doctoral Student Excellence in Leadership Award.
“You all have been fully anchored in excellence: excellence of scholarship, excellence of leadership, excellence of service, and excellence of commitment to elevating all others,” said Damani Piggott, associate vice provost for graduate diversity and partnerships, who delivered remarks at the national induction ceremony at Yale. “I ask that you continue to let your brilliant light and unwavering commitment to excellence across all facets of life continue to shine bright.”
The society was originally co-founded by Yale University and Howard University in 2005. This year marks the society’s 20th anniversary. It currently has chapters at 19 American universities.
The full list of this year’s honorees from Johns Hopkins can be found here.