New York Times bestselling author Karen Russell will read from her novel The Antidote on Wednesday, Feb. 25, as part of the annual Jack D. Farris Visiting Writers Series at Rhodes College. The novel has already gained significant recognition, having been named a finalist for the 2025 National Book Award for fiction and for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Maanasa Yepuru ’26, a Rhodes senior from Memphis, has taken an innovative step toward a future in neural engineering by combining computer science with neuroscience to craft her own unique interdisciplinary major. Says Yepuru, “Rhodes’ unique offering of the self-designed interdisciplinary major afforded me the opportunity to develop interdisciplinary skills that align with neural engineering, where understanding the brain requires both computational tools and biological insight.”

Rhodes College graduate Kynnedy Tuggle ’20 has been included in the Memphis Flyer’s newly released “20 Under 30” list, which honors individuals who are making a significant impact on the future of Memphis. The honorees were chosen based on nominations from the publication’s readers. In her role as a policy and advocacy associate at First 8 Memphis, Tuggle is at the forefront of transforming early childhood care and education.

Dr. Salar Rafieetary, a vitreoretinal surgeon at the Charles Retina Institute and a member of the Rhodes College Class of 2012, recently performed a first-of-its-kind surgery in Tennessee to treat macular telangiectasia type 2, a rare disease leading to vision loss.

Dr. Nikolaos Zahariadis, Mertie Buckman Chair and professor of international studies at Rhodes College, has assumed the role of co-president of the South region of the International Studies Association. The term is from January 2026 to December 2026.

Rhodes College has been recognized as one of the Top Producing Institutions of accepted applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2025-2026 academic year. This marks the fifth time the college has received this prestigious distinction, which underscores the commitment by Fulbright Top Producing Institutions to foster global connections.

The Memphis Public Interest Law Center, Research for Action Lab at Rhodes College, and Dragonfly Studio have released a report titled “Haunted Housing 2025: The Reality of Being a Renter in Memphis,” highlighting renter experiences and quantitative data on deteriorating living conditions and systemic housing challenges. “This is the kind of meaningful, community-engaged work that sets Rhodes apart,” said Dr. Natalie Person, dean for community engagement at Rhodes.

A new exhibition celebrating the work of Dr. David McCarthy, professor of art and art history at Rhodes College, will be on display from Jan. 30 through March 28 in the college’s Clough-Hanson Gallery. McCarthy has taught at Rhodes for more than three decades, during which he has developed a body of scholarship and a teaching philosophy that demonstrate how artists reflect and shape the times in which they live.

Dr. Gretchen E. Henderson’s new exhibition, Dear Body of Water, runs through May 2, 2026, at Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Henderson is the Spence L. Wilson Distinguished Professor in Humanities at Rhodes College.

The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced today that Rhodes College is one of 237 U.S. colleges and universities to receive its 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, which elevates an institution’s exceptional commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships with communities. The new classification is valid until 2032.