Awards for Academics and Service Presented at Rhodes College’s 2025 Commencement Exercises

Hannah Meit is the recipient of the Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Prize. The 2025 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards were presented to graduating seniors Hope Robinson and Sana Zein-Sabatto and Sandi George Tracy, director of career services, who is retiring this year. The college presented the Distinguished Service Medal to William M. Short ’71, associate director of library services.

Students Present Physics Research at Acoustical Society Conference in Australia

Four students from Rhodes presented their research at the Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and Australian Acoustical Society recently held in Sydney, Australia. Their research was carried out in the Physics Laboratory for Ultrasonic Studies at Rhodes under the supervision of Profs. Ann Viano and Brent Hoffmeister.

Springfield Music Lecture Series Presents Four-time Grammy-Winning Recording Artist Jason Isbell

Jason Isbell, four-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist, will discuss his music and career at Rhodes College on Feb. 7 as part of its Springfield Music Lecture Series. Isbell also will discuss his thoughts on what musicians can do to transform the world that surrounds them. Dr. Charles L. Hughes, music historian and director of The Lynne and Henry Turley Memphis Center at Rhodes, will be in conversation with Isbell.

Four Juniors Vie for National Truman Scholarship

Rhodes College juniors Anna Yates, Maya Khalife-Hamdan, Stuart Keen, and William Courtney are competing for the 2024 Truman Scholarship, a national, competitive, merit-based award offered to students who wish to attend graduate school in preparation for a career in government, the nonprofit sector, or public service. It provides up to $30,000 to be applied toward graduate school.

Collaboration Strikes the Right Note for Harry Dircks ’24

Harry Dircks ’24 has spent the past four years bringing music to Rhodes through the Mike Curb Institute for Music and spreading Rhodes’ music and values worldwide with the Rhodes Singers. An English major, he has maintained an interdisciplinary focus that led to an internship at an international company and plans to pursue a career in marketing.

Three Compete for 2024 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship

Three Rhodes College seniors are competing for the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provides a $40,000 grant for purposeful, independent exploration abroad. They are Julia Blackmon, Khulan Erdenechimeg, and Sam Frank. If selected, fellows execute their conceived projects by traveling outside the United States for one year.

Henriksen Selected for American Examples Program Focusing on Religious Studies

Dr. Beck Henriksen, visiting assistant professor of religious studies, has been selected as a participant of the 2024 American Examples program funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. The program is designed for scholars who are early in their careers and who study religion from a variety of disciplines to work collaboratively.