Rhodes College is celebrating its 175th anniversary, and although there have been changes throughout the years, one thing that never changes is the excitement of welcoming a new class.

The college is relaunching a number of entrepreneurship initiatives, including the Rhodes College Student Entrepreneurship Club and the annual Rhodes College Business Plan Competition. Eric Mathews, a member of the Rhodes Class of 2002 and CEO of Start Co., will serve as the new entrepreneur-in-residence.

Dr. Stephen Haynes, professor of religious studies at Rhodes, was presented the 2023 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service on Aug. 18 at the college’s Opening Convocation. This is an annual ceremony to mark a new academic session and welcome the new Rhodes class.

Rhodes College is featured in the 2024 edition of the college guide The Best 389 Colleges, published by The Princeton Review. Rhodes ranked in the top 25 in three categories—campus beauty, Greek life, and students studying the most.

Dr. Shana Stoddard, associate professor of chemistry at Rhodes College, has been selected to receive the 2024 Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). This is her second award this year from a national organization, having been awarded the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Silvia Ronco Innovative Mentor Award in May.

The annual Ostrander Awards celebrate excellence in collegiate, community, and professional theater in Memphis, and the Rhodes Theatre Guild has received 14 nominations in the Division II category for the 2022-2023 season.

Karl Erickson, assistant professor of art, and Emily Burkhead ’20, who graduated from Rhodes with a bachelor’s degree in urban studies, will have their films featured at the first annual Chroma Art Film Festival to be held Aug. 12 in Miami.

Rhodes College has stood out over the years for its magnificent architecture and landscaping. Rhodes’ newest recognition comes from the college-search platform College Rover, which designated it No. 2 on its list of “The Most Beautiful College Campuses in the U.S.”

“Project SEED gives us an opportunity to make a significant contribution not only to the future of STEM, but also Rhodes College,” says Karen Mosley, chemical safety officer at Rhodes. “We can reach students from diverse backgrounds who have great talent, but limited opportunity. Through Project SEED, Rhodes provides that opportunity and, in the process, achieves its vision ‘to attract and retain a talented, diverse student body.’”

Rhodes College is updating and expanding its long-established Search program with the support of a $25,000 planning grant for the 2023-2024 academic year from the Cornerstone: Learning for Living initiative. Jointly sponsored by the Teagle Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Cornerstone: Learning for Living initiative seeks to revitalize the role of the humanities in higher education.