Muhammad Waraich ’25 was first drawn to Rhodes College by the prospect of small class sizes, supportive professors, and a beautiful campus. Once at Rhodes, the international studies and history major has also enjoyed the benefits of internship opportunities and fulfilling programs. With support from the Office of Career Services and the Department of International Studies, the New Jersey native has gained experience in places as close to home as New York City and as far away as Tokyo, Japan.

Dr. John Bass, associate professor and longtime director of the Mike Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes College, has taught guitar at Rhodes every semester for the past 20 years, and while teaching a new course called Songwriting in Memphis during the Spring 2024 semester, he finally decided to record and release some of his own songs.

Dr. Be Stone, assistant professor of political science, has received the Stephen E. Bronner Dissertation Award, which is presented annually by the Critical Political Science Caucus of the American Political Science Association. Stone received a Ph.D. in political science from The City University of New York in 2023, and their dissertation is titled “Addiction” in U.S. Political Culture.

Ryan McTigue '25 spent his Summer Service Fellowship at the Hospitality Hub, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting those facing homelessness. His fellowship was motivated by a desire to serve the community of Memphis, but it also shed new light on the issues discussed in courses such as health equity and comparative politics.

Dr. Shadrack Nasong'o, professor of international studies at Rhodes, has published a new book titled Kenya and the Politics of a Postcolony (Anthem Press, 2024) that examines the governance and politics of Kenya since its independence from Britain in 1963 to the present.

Dr. Stephanie Elsky, associate professor of English at Rhodes, has been appointed as the director of the college’s Pearce Shakespeare Endowment, which enriches courses in Shakespeare and supports events for the campus and community.

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025 Best Colleges rankings, which evaluate nearly 1,500 four-year bachelor's degree-granting institutions across the country. Rhodes ranked No. 59 overall, No. 29 for Undergraduate Teaching, and No. 38 for Most Innovative Schools among national liberal arts colleges.

Maya Khalife-Hamdan, a Rhodes senior majoring in international studies and Spanish, has published an article in the University of Chile Law School’s Human Rights Yearbook. It is rare for an undergraduate student to contribute to the publication, and Khalife-Hamdan is also one of a very few non-native Spanish speakers to do so.

University Magazine has recognized Rhodes among 25 “College Campuses with the Highest Internship Opportunities.” According to the article, “These schools provide top-notch internship opportunities, setting students up for success in their post-graduation years.” Rhodes is No. 13 and stands out for its exceptional healthcare, business, and finance internship opportunities.

Prof. David McCarthy, chair of the Department of Art and Art History, has helped to organize a two-day event in Memphis—presented by Crosstown Arts and Rhodes' Lillian and Morrie Moss Endowment for the Visual Arts—featuring the 3-D documentary film, Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea about the artist's compelling journey to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder through art making.