Rhodes College, established in 1848 in Clarksville, TN, and a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences institution, is celebrating 100 years in Memphis, TN. The college moved to its current location under the leadership of then president Dr. Charles E. Diehl, and classes began on Sept. 24, 1925, with 406 students and 16 faculty. In recent history, Rhodes has enrolled approximately 2,000 students each year. Students admitted for fall 2025 hail from 45 states plus the District of Columbia and 64 countries, with 20 percent of this year’s entering class coming from Memphis and Shelby County.

“On behalf of our esteemed faculty, dedicated staff, and committed Trustees, I am delighted to welcome you—the great Class of 2029—to Rhodes College,” said Rhodes President Jennifer Collins on Aug. 15 at Opening Convocation, which is an annual ceremony to mark a new academic session. The first day of classes is Wednesday, Aug. 20.

Dr. Susan Satterfield, professor of Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Rhodes College, was presented the 2025 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service on Aug. 15 at the college’s Opening Convocation. The letters of nomination that the award committee received commended Satterfield’s work and described her as a highly regarded faculty leader who has led multiple academic programs, served on and chaired major faculty committees and task forces, and committed herself to student achievement and success.

Rhodes College ranks No. 6 for “Most Beautiful Campus” in the top 25 category of The Princeton Review’s The Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition. Rhodes also is one of the schools in the South in the guide’s “2026 Best Colleges: Region by Region” web feature.

Rhodes College welcomes eight new full-time faculty to its ranks for the 2025-2026 academic year, bringing talent in a number of specialties, from chemistry to interdisciplinary humanities to computer science.

The Rhodes College chapter of Mortar Board is a recipient of the national office’s 2025 Gold Torch Award, which honors chapters that are dedicated to the organization’s purpose and its Ideals and are active on campus in ways that improve the quality of student life. The chapter also has been recognized in the Project Excellence in Community Service category for its Teacher Appreciation Drive.

Rhodes College has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in the amount of $180,000 for research conducted by Dr. Larryn Peterson, professor of chemistry and chemistry department chair. The award for the project, titled “RUI: Interrogating Catalytic Efficiency Through Kinetic, Structural and Small-Molecule Guided Investigation of L-DOPA 2,3 Dioxygenases,” will be distributed over three years. Peterson will work in collaboration with Dr. Keri Colabroy of Muhlenberg College and Dr. Katherine Hicks of the State University of New York at Cortland.

Each year, 70 percent of Rhodes students complete at least one internship. This summer, Rhodes psychology majors Sudiksha Polasa ’25 and Julia Schuetze ’26 are among 92 college students from across the nation who will be applying their classroom knowledge while gaining work experience through an internship with Youth Villages.

Rhodes College was announced in May as one of the Peace Corps’ 2025 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities. Allison Jennings ’25 of Yukon, OK, is one of the Peace Corps’ newest members. She recently graduated from Rhodes with a bachelor’s degree in international studies and Russian studies and will promote English literacy teaching and learning and leadership development at a primary school in Samoa.

Rhodes Theatre Guild (RTG) is in the running for multiple Ostrander Awards, which honor excellence in local theater. The Theatre Guild received nominations for productions during the 2024-2025 season; the 41st annual event for the awards will be held Aug. 24 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Memphis.