10 inducted into national Edward A. Bouchet Honor Society
The students and new alumni were honored by the Graduate School, and by Yale University at an induction ceremony.
The 2026 Bouchet graduate scholars recently were by the Graduate School at a reception. From left to right: Assistant Dean Catherine Cotrupi, Josh Thompson, Rebecca Steele, JessicaSpence, Erica Shafer, Olivia Ryan, Mohammad Heydari, Dini Hajarrahmah, Aran Garnett-Deakin, Vinicius Cruz, and Associate Dean William Huckle. Not pictured: Blakely Lockhart. Graduate School photo
The newest members of Virginia Tech’s chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society are six new doctoral graduates and four Ph.D. candidates.
The national honor society is named for the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Yale University in 1876. It was founded in 2005 by Yale and Howard universities and holds an annual conference at Yale to celebrate inductees. The society’s goal is to create a network of scholars and professionals who “who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students in the academy,” according to its webpage. Virginia Tech is one of 19 university partners with Bouchet Society chapters across the nation.
The following students and graduates were inducted into the Honor Society:
Vinicius A. Cruz '26 received a Ph.D. in animal sciences, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He earned a bachelor degree and master’s degree at Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cruz is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and contributes as member for both American Society of Animal Science and North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. He has also contributed to extension projects, such as 4-H program seminars and Lee County reproduction event. He aspires to work as a professor.
Aran Garnett-Deakin '26 received a Ph.D. in human development and family science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Her research focuses on gender, identity, and meaning-making in family contexts. She has been recognized for her service and leadership within the field of family science by the National Council on Family Relations. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. In addition to serving on the executive board of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate, she served as president of the Human Development and Family Science Graduate Student Association for two years. Ultimately, Garnett-Deakin aspires to remain in academia.
Dini Hajarrahmah '26 received a Ph.D. in hospitality and tourism management in the Pamplin College of Business. Her research examines regenerative tourism, social entrepreneurship, and innovation. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Diponegoro University and a master’s degree from Boston University. Her work explores how tourism actors mobilize change toward regenerative and socially just tourism systems. Hajarrahmah is actively engaged in teaching, leadership, service, and advocacy. She served as President of PERMIAS, the Indonesian Students Association at Virginia Tech from 2025–26. Beyond academia, she is also a social entrepreneur and co-founded Wanderlust Indonesia and Barokah Coffee Shelter.
Mohammad H. Heydari is a Ph.D. candidate in environmental design and planning at the Myers-Lawson School of Construction in the College of Engineering. His research focuses on the technological transformation of construction supply chains, examining how coordination challenges, information flow, and network relationships affect project delivery. His work investigates how organizations make decisions under. He earned master’s degrees from Virginia Tech and the University of Tehran. He served as a student member on the Graduate School Strategic Planning Committee, advocating for student perspectives. He aspires to work at the intersection of technology and construction.
Blakely Lockhart is a Ph.D. candidate in the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, where her research examines how nutritional exposures and caregiving environments shape neurodevelopmental trajectories, with an emphasis on translational research and populations historically underrepresented in biomedical science. Her research has received several awards. She received herbachelor's degree from Christopher Newport University. Lockhart is president of the Roanoke Graduate Student Association and is an early career policy ambassador for the Society for Neuroscience, she participates in science policy, communication, and outreach efforts.
Olivia Ryan '26 received a Ph.D. in engineering education in the College of Engineering. She holds a master’s and a bachelor’s degree. Her research examines how mathematics-related curriculum structures shape students’ pathways, time-to-degree, and experiences in engineering. Her work focuses on identifying and addressing barriers created by math placement, sequencing, and curriculum design. In addition to her research, Ryan has teaching experience across undergraduate and graduate contexts. She has served as the graduate student representative for her department and as co-chair of the American Society for Engineering Education Student Division Best Paper Award.
Erica S. Shafer is a Ph.D. candidate in psychology in the College of Science. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. Her research examines the cognitive and neural mechanisms that support episodic memory across adulthood, with particular emphasis on how attentional control and strategic encoding contribute to age-related differences in memory performance. Her honors include the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Graduate Student Abstract Award. Shafer serves as the Graduate Student Mentor Program coordinator in her department and volunteers with Virginia Tech Adult Day Services. Shafer seeks to advance cognitive neuroscience research while promoting equity, mentorship, and access within the academic community.
Jessica R. Spence is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her scholarship sits at the intersection of agricultural communications, international development, and equity in agriculture. Her doctoral research focuses on the lived experiences of smallholder farmers practicing conservation agriculture in Ghana. Beyond her research, she led international education programs, supported cross-university partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa, and contributed to efforts to strengthen agricultural communications capacity globally. Her scholarship, teaching, and service demonstrate her commitment to academic excellence, leadership, character, and the creation of supportive environments.
Rebecca Steele '26 received a Ph.D. in the higher education program in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Her dissertation research focuses on the experiences of neurodivergent medical school applicants and students. Steele also conducted independent research on aerial circus as a form of inclusive physical activity. Steele received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from East Tennessee State University. Steele maintains her passion for science communication and teaching through volunteer work with Hokie Bug Fest and the 4-H Mobile Learning Labs. She aspires to work in a role that offers her ample opportunities to meet students where they are.
Josh Thompson '26 received a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction, in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences with a concentration in English education. His research focuses on rural trans and queer adolescent literacies and critical place-based study abroad pedagogy for rural students. Prior to enrolling in the Ph.D. program, he taught English language arts for seven years in public high schools in Virginia and received a High School Teacher of Excellence Award from the National Council of Teachers of English in 2021. He is a co-founder of Community Pride in Blacksburg. In 2025, he received the LGBTQIA+ Advocacy and Leadership Award.
