Rhodes College has received notable designations and rankings over the years for its Collegiate Gothic architecture and magnificent grounds, and with about 120 tree species, it is certified as a Level IV Arboretum. Now, the ROOTS Gardening Club is introducing two more tree species, both fruit-bearing, to the campus.

Dr. Laura Kelly, associate professor of educational studies at Rhodes College, has received funding from the Spencer Foundation for her research project titled “Bilingual Book Clubs - A Culturally Sustaining, Translanguaging Approach to Support Biliteracy.” The grant provides support through August 31, 2026.

Rhodes College student Hugh Ferguson ’27 and alums Liv Cohen ’23 and Raneem Imam ’20 are among the Memphis Flyer’s newly released “20 Under 30” list of individuals helping to shape Memphis’ future. Honorees were selected from nominations received from the publication’s readers.

Dr. Zachary Casey, associate professor of educational studies, has published a new book titled Critical Pedagogy and the Trouble with Consciousness Raising (Routledge, 2025).

Project Pericles is a consortium of colleges and universities that promotes civic engagement within higher education, and Rhodes has been a member since 2004. In December, Rhodes faculty were awarded grants from the organization to promote course development.

Dr. Kenneth Holditch '55 dedicated much of his professional life to studying the works of Tennessee Williams, a Pulitzer-prize winning playwright and prolific amateur artist. In 2022, his estate bequeathed seven of Williams' paintings to Rhodes, and in fall 2024 five of the paintings, loaned from the college, were a highlight of the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival.

In the research lab of Rhodes College Physics professor Dr. David Rupke, students have been exploring galaxy evolution by using NASA-sponsored telescopes to collect data. Now Rupke and his team, including Triet Ha ’25, Shane Caraker ‘24, and Jack Harper ’25, have taken images of the massive galaxy Makani using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (Hubble), and have detected ionized oxygen atoms in the galactic wind of Makani that could serve as a benchmark for the next generation of NASA’s ultraviolet telescopes.

Seven Rhodes College students presented research at the annual meeting for the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, held Jan. 3-5 in Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Beck Henriksen, visiting assistant professor of religious studies at Rhodes College, is one of 12 participants who have been selected for the 2025 Sacred Writes: Public Scholarship on Religion program. The program is designed for scholars of religion who are interested in improving public religious literacy and working to translate their research for a broader audience.

Rhodes College is among “50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States for International Students 2025” published by Study Abroad Aide. Is it the only college in Tennessee that made the list.