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2017-2018 Bouchet Society Inductees

2017-2018 Bouchet Society Inductees

The Graduate School was pleased to induct three graduate students and two postdoctoral fellows into the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (Bouchet Society) on Friday, April 27, 2018.

These inaugural inductees for Northwestern University are featured left to right in the photo above with TGS Assistant Dean of Diversity & Inclusion, Damon Williams (at far left):

  • Felix L. Nuñez-Santana, PhD, Neurology
  • Krystal Villanosa, Learning Sciences
  • Adelita D. Mendoza, PhD, Biological Sciences
  • Alicia C. McGeachy, Chemistry
  • Nisan M. Hubbard, Molecular Biosciences 

About the Society

Named for Edward Alexander Bouchet, 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. It seeks to develop 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. 

About the Inductees

Felix L. Nuñez-Santana, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in The Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine. His research focuses on elucidating how disturbances in sleep and sleep-related disorders impact ALS onset, pathology, and progression, as well as the identification and discovery of genes associated with sporadic ALS among African Americans.

Krystal Villanosa is a PhD candidate in learning sciences in the School of Education and Social Policy. Her research considers the intersection between designers' beliefs about diversity and their pedagogical practices when designing for diverse learners in informal learning environments.

Adelita D. Mendoza, PhD, is a recent graduate of Northwestern University’s Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program (IBiS), and she is currently a postdoctoral associate at Washington University. Dr. Mendoza studies how zinc regulation impacts cell signaling and homeostasis. In addition, she founded Northwestern’s chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) to create opportunities and connect with resources for underrepresented graduate students in science.

Alicia C. McGeachy is a PhD candidate in Chemistry. Her research, in collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, focuses on exploring the fundamental interactions that occur between engineered nanomaterials and model biological systems in an effort to inform the design of technologically-relevant and sustainable materials.

Nisan M. Hubbard is a PhD candidate in molecular biosciences with a concentration in reproductive biology. His particular focus is on understanding how developmental signaling pathways within the ovary lead to the formation and growth of the ovarian follicle and how they could ultimately affect fertility.