| Rhodes News

collage of head and shoulder images of Rhodes College students

Class of 2026 Members Selected for Fulbright Student Awards

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.

April 29, 2026

head and shoulder images of Dr. Downing and Dr. Ivory

Rhodes College to Award Honorary Degrees to St. Jude CEO and Retired Rhodes Professor

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.

April 28, 2025

Rhodes Recognized for Fostering Student Success in New Carnegie Classification

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.

April 25, 2025

a composite of a young woman smiling at the camera and playing guitar

Zoë Dominguez ’25 Carves Her Artistic Niche while Making a Social Impact

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.

April 24, 2025

image of Kai Virani and Sandy Mansour standing next to each

Rhodes Students Named Finalists in National Entrepreneurship Competition

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.

April 21, 2025

Hugh Ferguson ’27 Exemplifies Day Scholarship’s Commitment to Service in Memphis

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.

April 17, 2025

students in a PPE course at Rhodes College

Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program Designated as a Hidden Gem by American Council of Trustees and Alumni

The Philosophy, Politics & Economics program at Rhodes College has been designated as a Hidden Gem by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. The Hidden Gems initiative highlights honors colleges and major, minor, and certificate programs that provide high-quality interdisciplinary education in the liberal arts. Launched in 2019, it now numbers 23 institutions spanning from coast to coast.

April 15, 2025

head and shoulder image of Gretchen Henderson

Writer and Scholar Gretchen E. Henderson Named Spence L. Wilson Distinguished Professor in the Humanities

Dr. Gretchen E. Henderson has been named the Spence L. Wilson Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Rhodes College following a national search. In this position, Henderson will help enhance the humanities at the college as well as serve on the advisory board of the Spence L. Wilson Center for Interdisciplinary Humanities.

April 15, 2025

Petty Co-Edits Book on New Orleans’ Literary History

Dr. Leslie Petty, professor of English and the T.K. Young Chair of English Literature, has co-edited a new book titled Voices and Visions: Essays on New Orleans's Literary History (University Press of Mississippi).

April 11, 2025

head and shoulder image of Megan Starling

Starling Honored for Mentoring by Southern Association for College Admission Counseling

Megan Starling, director of admission at Rhodes College, received the William Starling Award for Mentoring at the annual conference of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling held March 30-31 in Atlanta. In her tenure at Rhodes, she has held leadership roles in campus hospitality while also managing territory assignments and application/scholarship review processes. She also has supervised the entire admission team including all student employees and Rhodes Student Associates.

April 10, 2025

Dana Potter and Nolan Colladay standing in front of a research poster

Rhodes Students Dana Potter and Nolan Colladay Present Research at National Organizational Psychology Conference

Dana Potter, a junior psychology major and Nolan Colladay, a senior business major, presented research at the 40th annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference, which was held April 2-5 in Denver, CO, and brought together leading experts, researchers, and practitioners from around the globe.

April 10, 2025