Three grad students named Bouchet Society inductees

Summary

Three graduate students from the Michigan State University College of Education will be inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society this spring. They are among 6 total inductees from MSU.

Kirby Gibson headshot; Kirby poses for the camera while standing against a green background. Kirby wears a green and white floral suit and a black bow tie. Kirby's black hair is long and in a braid.
Kirby Gibson

Three graduate students from the MSU College of Education will be inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (BGHS) in April 2026. The distinction honors doctoral students who exemplify the core values of the national society: character, leadership, advocacy for those traditionally underrepresented in the academy, service and scholarship. 

The honorees from the College of Education are: 

  • Kirby R. Gibson (Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education)
  • Jermaine R. Howell (Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education)
  • Tiyanna Peterson (Education Policy) 
Jermaine Howell headshot. Jermaine poses for the camera against a full bookshelf. Jermaine wears a blue button-down shirt, a bright red tie and dark-rimmed glasses. Jermaine has black hair and beard, both are cut close to the face and head.
Jermaine R. Howell

The honorees are among the six from MSU selected for induction into the society during the annual conference at Yale University. Several others from the MSU College of Education were inducted in previous years. MSU has been an institutional partner with the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society since 2019. 

Prospective inductees must apply to the society and are selected based on how they meet selection criteria, including excellent academic credentials, a compelling personal statement that addresses the society’s core values and the significance of their contributions to their field of research. The MSU BGHS Institutional Steering Committee, based in the MSU Graduate School, reviews, votes on and presents selected inductees to the national Executive Committee and Institutional Steering Committee for further review before formal induction. 

Tiyanna Peterson headshot. Tiyanna poses for the camera against a neutral white background. Tiyanna wears a blue, yellow and black patterned short-sleeve blouse and dark-rimmed glasses. Tiyanna's black hair is long and falls past the shoulders.
Tiyanna Peterson

MSU grad and current Yale Professor Curtis Patton wrote about the Bouchet Society for the MSU Graduate School. Patton was a 2004 recipient of the Yale Edward A. Bouchet Leadership Award. He also created the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Award, a fellowship opportunity for doctoral students at MSU. 

Learn more about the Bouchet Society and the MSU inductees on the MSU Graduate School website.

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