Johns Hopkins University has recently joined two organizations dedicated to increasing graduate student diversity: the National Name Exchange and the Edward Alexander Bouchet Honor Society.
The National Name Exchange helps undergraduate students from underrepresented minority backgrounds learn about opportunities for graduate studies, while the Edward Alexander Bouchet Honor Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate.
"We are grateful, and honored, to be included in these organizations," says Nancy Kass, vice provost for graduate and professional education. "Universities must do intentional outreach to attract the deepest bench of students from all backgrounds. And then, in turn, we must create an inclusive environment where our students can thrive and can produce the high-quality and creative scholarship to contribute meaningfully to the world around them."
The National Name Exchange was established in 1976 to help match students in their sophomore, junior, and senior years with graduate schools. Each year, consortium members from 55 nationally known universities share the names of talented undergraduates who are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to ensure that participating universities may identify a pool of qualified students to recruit to their graduate programs. The consortium also conducts other activities to encourage students to see graduate study as a viable goal.
"As we continue to execute the goals of our Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion, a commitment to access to opportunity is vital," says Fenimore Fisher, vice provost and chief diversity officer. "The National Name Exchange creates a pathway to promote the value of a graduate education, along with building a community of talented diverse scholars across the country."
Johns Hopkins is a provisional member of the NNE until April 2020, but students are eligible now to receive the benefits of the membership. To be included in the database for the upcoming year, interested students have until midnight Wednesday, Aug. 15 to create an online profile. Qualifying students are undergraduates from ethnic minorities with a current GPA of at least 3.0; students must be in their sophomore through senior year. International students on temporary visas are not eligible. For more information, please send a request to odi@jhu.edu.
Named for the first African American in the United States to receive a PhD, the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society seeks to develop a network of pre-eminent 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 higher education. It was co-founded in 2005 by Yale University—where physicist and educator Bouchet earned his doctorate in 1876—and Howard University to recognize and continue Bouchet's pioneering contributions to doctoral education.
Johns Hopkins will select its first class of five PhD student inductees into this honor society in 2019. For more information, contact vpgraduateeducation@jhu.edu.
Posted in University News
Tagged diversity, graduate education
