John Creveling, a junior business major from Austin, TX, presented the winning pitch at the third annual Rhodes College Venture Challenge held April 30 on campus. He gained the $10,000 Grand Prize to help launch OptimSolutions, AI-powered lead generation and automation for home service businesses.

Both the Rhodes College men's lacrosse team and women’s lacrosse team are headed to the NCAA Division III Championship, after capturing Southern Athletic Association titles.

Dr. Evelyn Perry and Dr. John Kaltner were presented with Rhodes College’s highest honors conferred on faculty at the college’s annual Awards Convocation held May 1 on campus. Perry, an associate professor of sociology, received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching—an acknowledgment of her pedagogical excellence. Kaltner, an associate professor of religious studies, was honored with the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity, recognizing his significant scholarly and creative contributions to his field.

The student-led Campus Life Awards on April 23 recognized members of the Rhodes community for their commitment and passion in various areas of campus involvement. Hosted by the Rhodes Student Government (RSG), this annual event celebrates the achievements of student leaders, student organizations, and the support provided by faculty and staff.

Sophia Cracraft, Lydia Gold, Melate Kebede, and Erin McTigue—members of the Rhodes College Class of 2026—have been selected to receive Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Fulbright Program currently facilitates the exchange of students and scholars between the United States and more than 140 countries, and applications for 2026-2027 continue to be reviewed. Rhodes is among the top producers of Fulbright U.S. Students. Cracraft and Gold in Taiwan, Kebede in Bulgaria, and McTigue in Germany will serve as English teaching assistants in their assigned countries and as cultural ambassadors for the U.S.

A Rhodes College Data Analytics team took home the Best Data Visualization Award at the American Statistical Association (ASA) DataFest held at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN, April 24-26.The winning Rhodes team includes Eba Deressa, Aleem Azhar, Golam Hisham, Phuong Tran, and Aayan Pratim Deb.

In making his college decision, the top priority for urban and education studies major Mitchell Leander was community. “I knew I wanted to go someplace where I could do a lot of different things, and I knew that I would be really supported at Rhodes,” says the Nashville native. “Another big reason was because historically the mock trial team is the best in the country. I am interested in law and wanted to learn what it meant to use law as a tool for advocacy.” 

Rhodes College junior Johnathan Burch, who is a political science and health equity double major from Heath Springs, SC, is among 55 outstanding college students from across the country who have been named 2026 Truman Scholars. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation made the announcement today.

Over the course of eight weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lily Grace Richey '27 didn’t just study global issues; as a Mertie Buckman International International Scholar, she lived them.