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.

While at Rhodes, English and urban studies double major Zoe Dominguez '25 has spent three years working on social justice efforts, pursued an Honors Project in English, released her first punk rock single, and fallen in love with the Memphis arts scene.

Rhodes College juniors Sandy Mansour and Kai Virani have been selected as finalists in the E-Fest® competition, hosted by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. Since 2017, the competition has awarded more than $1.5M dollars to undergraduate business ventures.

Hugh Ferguson’s passion for healthcare manifests itself in his courses, internships, volunteer work, and research efforts, and, in keeping with the Day Scholarship’s mission, a sincere love for the city of Memphis and its people underpins it all.