Rhodes alumna Patricia Spears Jones ’73 has been named New York State Poet by the New York State Writers Institute. The award-winning and critically acclaimed poet will serve for two years in the honorary position and receive a $10,000 honorarium.

Dr. Christopher Seaton, professor of mathematics at Rhodes College, is among 46 mathematical scientists from across the country who have been named inaugural recipients of the AMS-Simons Research Enhancement Grants for Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) Faculty. Awardees will receive $3,000 a year for three years to support research-related activities.

Rhodes College alum Johnathan Payne ’12 is one of three artists recently selected for the Artist Studios Program at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. He will be an artist-in-residence at the museum through February 2024, where he will engage the public and work in an on-site studio space.

Nearly disbanded after the pandemic, the Rhodes Outdoor Organization has been completely revamped under a new executive board and was named the 2023 Student Organization of the Year at the annual Campus Life Awards.

Anne Strickland, director of student engagement at Rhodes College, recently received the Award for Fraternal Excellence from Kappa Alpha Order at its annual convention held in Orlando, FL.

Rhodes College marks its 175th anniversary this year and is celebrating with a full schedule of events as it reflects on its liberal arts and sciences history and embarks on a future that will continue to inspire students, transform lives, graduate trailblazers, and advance the college’s national and international stature. As part of the celebration, the inauguration of the 21st president of Rhodes College, Jennifer M. Collins, will take place Oct. 21.

As part of its 175th anniversary celebration, Rhodes College will present a conversation with New York Times op-ed columnist and author David Brooks on American Politics and Society at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, in McNeill Concert Hall.

At the beginning of the school year, Rhodes holds a highly successful Meet the Firms event, with accounting firms, finance firms, and corporations on site to meet students with accounting-related career interests (accounting, finance, computer science, data analytics, etc.).

Clough-Hanson Gallery at Rhodes College will present Young, Gifted and Black: The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art on Sept. 8. Making its debut in the American South and on view through Dec. 9, 2023, this wide-ranging exhibition highlights artists of African descent whose work explores politics, identity, and art history, among other themes.

Rhodes College scored 4.5 out of five stars on the Campus Pride Index, which rates colleges and universities nationally based on institutional commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs, and practices.