The 176th Commencement of Rhodes College will be held Saturday, May 17, at 8:30 a.m. in the Hubert F. Fisher Memorial Garden on campus.

Rhodes College chemistry majors Connor Bronze ’25 (first place) and Kathleen Modder ’26 (second place) were awarded top prizes in the undergraduate research poster competition held at The University of Memphis on April 24. Rhodes students Ella Petit ’25, Lilia Fernatt ’27, Josiah Zhang ’27, and Heath Seawright ’27 also presented their research.

Six graduating seniors’ portraits are being added to Rhodes College’s Hall of Fame on the second floor of Southwestern Hall. They are Keith Adams, Shanteise Bonds, Anh Duy Hoàng, Dylan Morris, Anna Yates, and Sana Zein-Sabatto. Selection to the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1931, is based on individual merit, leadership in student activities, service to others, and overall contributions to the campus community. Honorees are chosen by their peers.

Atlanta native Marcus Gray came to Rhodes College seeking a liberal arts education with a focus on pre-law studies. His interest in different cultures and world politics led him to a major in international studies, but he soon discovered a second passion though his coursework: the people, history, and politics of Latin America. Adding a second major of Latin American and Latinx studies has allowed him to academically investigate Latin America from two unique perspectives, fueling his passion for interdisciplinary learning, inspiring his research, and encouraging him to study abroad.

Dr. Courtney Collins received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching, and Dr. Caki Wilkinson received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity at the college’s annual Awards Convocation held May 2. These are the highest honors conferred on faculty at the college.

Dr. Shana Stoddard, associate professor of chemistry, has been named a 2025-2026 Leadership and Mentoring Institute Mellon Fellow. The highly selective, year-long program is sponsored by the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education and the Mellon Foundation.

Sam Supan ’25 won the undergraduate category and Shannen Alack ’27 was runner-up at the annual Memphis Area Collegiate Geospatial Showcase, held this year on the Rhodes College campus. They each will receive a scholarship award toward their education and/or research.

At the Campus Life Awards ceremony on April 22, members of the Rhodes community were recognized for their outstanding level of commitment and passion in their respective areas of campus involvement. The annual event is presented by the Rhodes Student Government.

Dr. James R. Downing and Dr. Luther D. Ivory will receive honorary degrees at the 176th Commencement of Rhodes College on May 17. Downing is president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Ivory retired in 2018 from Rhodes as an associate professor of religious studies and director of the then African American Studies Program.

Rhodes College is included in the latest updates to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which is the nation's leading framework for categorizing diverse U.S. higher education institutions.