Annual awards were presented at Rhodes College’s Alumni Convocation on Nov. 16 during Homecoming/Reunion Weekend. Dr. William Van Davidson from the Class of 1962 received the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Sherry L. Turner from the Class of 1984 received the 2019 Black Student Association Distinguished Alumni Award.

While undergoing chemotherapy treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after being diagnosed with leukemia at age 16, Cruthirds founded Adam’s Army to raise money and awareness for St. Jude’s work. He says his goal has always been to raise one million dollars, which he reached just ahead of the December 7 St. Jude Memphis Marathon. 

Dr. Shana Stoddard, assistant professor of chemistry, presented a workshop and participated on a panel discussion at the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Conference held Nov. 18-21 in St. Louis, MO. The conference theme was “Gateway to Excellence.”

Environmental studies major Ally Nawrocki '20 completed the Steve and Riea Lainoff Global Crop Diversity Trust Summer Internship in honor of Cary Fowler, working on global conservation. She plans to pursue a Fulbright and a career in Environmental Law.

After a competitive national search, Rhodes College president Dr. Marjorie Hass has appointed Dr. Katherine Clay Bassard as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs effective July 1, 2020. Bassard earned a B.A. from Wake Forest University, an M.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctorate from Rutgers University. She will also serve as professor of English and Africana studies.

Dr. Aixa Marchand, assistant professor of psychology at Rhodes, along with University of Michigan and University of California-Los Angeles faculty, has co-authored a paper that charts how wealth shapes educational outcomes from childhood to early adulthood: The article is published in the November 2019 issue of Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

Elizabeth Morrison Warren '12 of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis credits Rhodes with her affinity for the nonprofit sector and her involvement in the city of Memphis.

Professor of Greek and Roman Studies Dr. David Sick received the 2019 Jacqueline Elliott Award for Service in Higher Education at the Tennessee Foreign Language Teachers Association (TFLTA) conference held in Franklin, TN, Nov. 8-9.

Director of instrumental activities at Rhodes and a composer, Prof. Williams has re-created through song 10 poems by Emily Dickinson titled “Emily’s House.”

Does cramming for a test have any benefits? What’s the best method for retaining information? How do memory skills change over a person’s life span? These are the types of questions Dr. Geoff Maddox, associate professor of psychology, explores with students in his Memory and Cognition Lab at Rhodes.