Albert Burgess-Hull will be inducted into the prestigious Bouchet Society on March 14. Burgess-Hull is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), School of Human Ecology at UW-Madison.
Burgess-Hull’s research examines how the social network influences a person’s ability to quit smoking, gaining national attention. Duke University awarded him a training fellowship, and Burgess-Hull will collaborate with Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this May to correspondingly examine how the social network affects patterns of marijuana use.
In addition to his scholarly work, Burgess-Hull exhibits a strong commitment to serving the UW-Madison community.
“As a human ecologist, I am acutely aware that both the physical and emotional well-being of a community are important to overall health,” Burgess-Hull says.“I believe that the intellectual community of a university should benefit both university and community members.”
He initiated fundraising efforts to raise money for the 5k Run for Literacy sponsored by the Dane County Literacy Network. Likewise, he volunteers his time mentoring new HDFS students and works with EcoWell, an initiative within the School of Human Ecology to foster community well-being and inclusion.
“Out of all the activities I have been involved with, I am most proud of the community outreach programs I have helped organize,” Burgess-Hull says.
In the spirit of the Bouchet Society’s mission, Burgess-Hull actively strives to include minorities with hopes of fostering a more diverse community.
“I strongly believe that the pursuit of knowledge and higher education should be available and accessible to everyone. Unfortunately, I am aware that not everyone has equal access to these opportunities,” Burgess-Hull says.
As a human ecologist, I am acutely aware that both the physical and emotional well-being of a community are important to overall health.
To serve those underrepresented, Burgess-Hull has collaborated with faculty and staff within SoHE to develop and improve academic support/mentorship programs for students from marginalized groups.
The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society honors exemplary scholars who are committed to using their education to advance leadership, diversity research and/or public service. The society honors Edward Alexander Bouchet, the first African-American doctoral recipient in the United States (Ph.D. from Yale University in 1876.)
The society will induct Burgess-Hull in Madison on March 14th at the University Club. Yale University will additionally honor him at the national induction ceremony April 7th-8th.
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