As part of the Rhodes College experience, students learn how to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities. Several Rhodes alumni who are now medical students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Memphis are giving back to the community as volunteers at local drive-thru testing sites for COVID-19.

Scott Newstok, professor of English at Rhodes, has published a new book, How to Think like Shakespeare: Lessons from a Renaissance Education (Princeton University Press, 2020). The book grew out of the speech that Newstok delivered to the Rhodes Class of 2020 at their convocation four years ago.

Senior Bailey Cate, who is pursuing an environmental studies major and an urban studies minor at Rhodes, has been awarded The Steve and Riea Lainoff Crop Trust Fellowship in Honor of Cary Fowler. The 12-month fellowship is made possible through the generosity of Steve and Riea Lainoff, parents of Rhodes graduates Brian Lainoff ’11 and Mark Lainoff ’15. As a fellow, Cate will join the Partnerships team of the Global Crop Diversity Trust in Bonn, Germany, in August, depending on travel conditions at that time.

Rhodes faculty reflect on teaching remotely. The takeaway? Even in a time of “social distancing,” Rhodes faculty are finding creative ways to maintain close connections with their students.

Dr. Shana Stoddard, assistant professor of chemistry, and students in her research lab have co-authored articles recently published in two peer-reviewed journals—the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry. They have successfully tested several of the designed drugs that have the potential to be cancer therapeutics. Current work in the lab is focused on synthesis of more drug candidates that have been identified in the lab.

Dr. Erin Bodine, associate professor of mathematics; Dr. Sarah Boyle, associate professor of biology; and Dr. Loretta Jackson-Hayes, professor of chemistry and director of scholarly and creative activity mentoring, are members of the inaugural cohort of the Advancing STEM Careers by Empowering Network Development (ASCEND). ASCEND is funded by a nearly million-dollar National Science Foundation grant that runs through September 2024.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, medical professionals are finding themselves in uncharted territories on a daily basis. Rhodes alumna Sally Goza M.D., FAAP, of Fayetteville, GA, knows firsthand what these professionals, particularly pediatricians, are coping with. She is the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

A fall semester spent studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during her junior year spurred Ellie Johnson '20 into exploring the evolving world of immigration law.

Rhodes’ Student Employee Appreciation Week, which is April 13-17, includes a spotlight on Grace Tomeny, Rhodes Student Associate of the Year; Megan Wassef, Student Employee of the Year; and Tiffany Ford, Supervisor of the Year.