Hub staff, Jun 2
Ten Johns Hopkins University PhDs and postdoctoral researchers were inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society during a ceremony on May 7.
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.
“We are so grateful for all you have contributed to your fields of study, your communities, and your university, and we are thrilled for all you will accomplish in the future,” said Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Diversity and Partnerships Damani Piggott. “Congratulations on this remarkable recognition.”
The society was originally co-founded by Yale University and Howard University in 2005. It currently has chapters at 19 American universities.
This year’s honorees are:
Sumayya Beekun
International Health
Beekun is a PhD candidate in the Global Disease Epidemiology and Control program in the International Health Department and Center for Indigenous Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on bacterial infections, community-based and engaged participatory research using Indigenous perspectives and models, mixed and multi-methods, and collaborating and co-creating knowledge with Indigenous and other historically underrepresented communities. Prior to her PhD, Beekun worked at the Centers for Disease Control. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was deployed to a quarantine station, multiple Emergency Operations Center taskforces, and local health departments. Beekun has since been recognized by the CDC for her “unwavering dedication and service.” She remains devoted to the health of “Mitakuye Oyasin,” a Lakota phrase meaning “all my relations.”
Travis Brady
Biomedical Engineering
Brady is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering. His research, which he conducts under professors Lakshmi Santhanam and Sharon Gerecht, focuses on the vascular aging process, integrating in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro models to map the timeline of age-related vascular stiffening. Brady is particularly interested in extracellular matrix mechanics and its role in cardiovascular health and disease. He previously taught high school engineering courses at Success Academies, inspiring students from diverse backgrounds to explore STEM careers. He now continues this commitment at Johns Hopkins through leadership roles in the Black Graduate Student Association and the BME PhD Application Assistance Program. In addition to receiving multiple fellowships—including the APS Porter Physiology Development Fellowship and the NASEM Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship—Brady’s work has been recognized with best poster awards at local and international conferences. In the future, he hopes to lead a lab that investigates cardiovascular biomechanics, with a particular emphasis on training the next generation of scientists.
Brenice Duroseau
Nursing
Duroseau, a clinician with specializations in infectious diseases and addiction medicine, is an emerging nurse scientist in implementation science focusing on multi-level interventions to eradicate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) disparities. She is currently a PhD candidate at the School of Nursing and an Implementation Science and Social Determinants of Health Fellow at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research explores how social, structural, and political determinants shape SRH experiences, engagement, and access for marginalized women across the lifespan. As a community-driven researcher and policy advocate, Duroseau is committed to dismantling systemic barriers in healthcare and reimagining SRH services to be equitable, affirming, and holistic. She has received several prestigious awards and scholarships, including the 40 Under 40 Public Health Catalyst Award from the Boston Congress of Public Health, the Cecelia Lou Vriheas Scholarship from the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education, and the M. Elizabeth Carnegie Doctoral Degree Scholarship from the Nurses Educational Funds.
read more at https://hub.jhu.edu/2025/06/02/2025-hopkins-phd-students-bouchet/
