A classroom discussion led by Dr. Charles McKinney, the Neville Frierson Bryan Chair of Africana Studies at Rhodes and associate professor of history, is airing during Black History Month on NBCLX, a digital news network owned by NBCUniversal. Taped during the 2021 fall semester, the broadcast focuses on how McKinney and his students are tackling uncomfortable conversations about America’s past and present.

Facing massive power outages in Memphis caused by the recent ice storm, the Rhodes College mock trial teams quickly packed up and headed to Olive Branch, MS, to turn hotel rooms into courtrooms for Regional Tournaments hosted by Connecticut College and Pennsylvania State University via Zoom Feb. 5-6. Rhodes B finished as Regional Champions with a perfect record after defeating teams from the University of Maryland, SUNY-Binghampton, Holy Cross, and Villanova.

Rhodes College alumni Adam Wyatt ’21 and Veronica Kilanowski-Doroh ’21 recently presented research at the annual meeting of the Society for Classical Studies, which is the national association for classical studies. Their papers were written in conjunction with Ancient Mediterranean Studies courses at Rhodes in the fall of 2020 and selected by anonymous reviewers appointed by Eta Sigma Phi, the honorary society for the discipline.

Rhodes College faculty continuously explore topics in their areas of expertise and produce publishable work. The roundup shares some of their research and creative activity in the last three months.

Sinead Eksteen ’22, a biology major from Vienna, VA, won the annual scholarship presented by the Memphis Area Geographic Information Council. The $2,000 award was announced at the group’s Geospatial Conference recently held at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Eksteen submitted a written research proposal and then gave a 20-minute research talk titled “Benthic Biodiversity and Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise in the Chesapeake Bay” at the conference.

Dr. Brent Hoffmeister, professor and chair of physics at Rhodes College, has been named a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America for contributions to the understanding of ultrasound characterization of bone. His research involves medical applications of physics.

Rhodes College juniors David Caddle, Walker Coleman, Priscilla Foreman, and Jimmy Mullen are competing for the 2022 Truman Scholarship, the premier graduate fellowship in the United States for those pursuing careers as public service leaders. The award provides up to $30,000 to apply toward graduate school. Recipients must be nominated by their institution, have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills, demonstrate academic excellence, and be committed to careers in government or the nonprofit sector.

Dr. Mary Miller, professor and chair of biology at Rhodes College, supported by a collaborative team of biology faculty, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of more than $350,000 for a three-year project titled “MRI: Acquisition of a Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) Supporting Multi-Disciplinary Approaches to Exploring Biological Responses.”

Michael Morgan, director of financial aid at Rhodes College, has been elected to serve as president of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA), effective July 1, 2022. “I am honored to be chosen for this important role,” says Morgan. “Professional organizations such as SASFAA develop leadership within our profession and fight for the needs of current and future students, ensuring an affordable education for all who wish to attend college.”

Rhodes College sent a delegation of 11 members to the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature’s (TISL) 52nd General Assembly, held Nov. 18-21 in Nashville at the State Capitol. Harry Dircks ’24 won the Outstanding Senator award, and Pierce Rose ’22 received The Douglas Carlisle Award, given to an student who has made significant contributions to TISL through participation, service, and leadership. Other members of the team include Matthew Kenny ’22, who served as this year’s Governor, and Maya Ring ’23, who served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Senate.