Three Social Science graduate students inducted into Bouchet Graduate Honor Society

January 29, 2026 - JJ Thomas and Karessa Weir

Raymundo Lopez, a doctoral student in the Department of Political Science, Jordan Parker, a doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice, and Natalie Rivera a dual doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice and Chicano/Latino Studies Program have been inducted into the seventh cohort of the MSU Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. 

The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society recognizes scholarly achievement and promotes inclusive excellence at the Doctoral and Faculty levels. Members of the Society serve as exemplary examples of character, scholarship, service, leadership, and advocacy. 

Raymundo Lopez believes in a political science that moves. At Michigan State University, he studies American politics and research methods. His work examines how elected officials articulate their social identities in real time, primarily through survey experiments and video-as-data approaches. Lopez is a 2025-2026 Fellow in the American Political Science Association’s Public Scholarship Program, where he produces public-facing analyses that translate political science research into accessible insights for broader audiences. 

He is also the creator of Atom Laboratories, a YouTube channel that uses data, peer-reviewed scholarship and digital storytelling to demystify complicated concepts in political science. In addition to his research and public scholarship, Lopez has collaborated with nonprofits like the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing to support civic education initiatives and community needs. He currently leads the Social Science Initiative at FLI SCI, where he designs curriculum and implements programming that introduces first-generation and limited-access students to social science inquiry.

 

Jordan Parker is a doctoral candidate in the School of Criminal Justice whose research interests include community-based violence interventions (CVI), program evaluation, firearm violence, juvenile justice & delinquency, and police misconduct. Parker is a community-engaged researcher working with practitioners and systems-impacted individuals to improve individual and community outcomes.

Parker says “I am incredibly honored to be accepted into the MSU Chapter of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. I am deeply grateful for the support and mentorship of my SCJ faculty throughout my program, as well as for their nomination to the Society. I also sincerely appreciate the MSU Chapter of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society for awarding me a $3,000 fellowship to support my dissertation research later this year. This fellowship will be used to provide incentives for participants in a community-based violence intervention (CVI) program in Michigan, allowing them to share their experiences and helping to deepen our understanding of the additional services and supports offered through CVI programming."

Natalie Rivera is a second-year dual-major doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice and Chicano/Latino Studies at Michigan State University. Rivera’s research interests focus on victimology, gender-based violence, Chicano/Latino Studies, corrections, critical criminology, and mixed methods.

Rivera says “Being inducted into the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society is a meaningful honor. This recognition reflects the mentors, communities, and students who have supported and inspired me along the way, and it strengthens my commitment to carrying forward Dr. Bouchet’s legacy by using scholarship as a tool for inclusion, equity, and collective uplift."

The three students will be inducted into the Honor Society at an Induction Ceremony at Yale University April 10th and 11th.