“Cemeteries are as much for the living as they are for the dead,” says Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies fellow, artist, and economics major Elizabeth Mueller ’23, who has been conducting research this summer on how local history is revealed by grave symbols and iconography in Memphis’ historic Elmwood Cemetery. “When a loved one dies, family and friends make decisions about how form, symbolism, and epitaph will embody the deceased for eternity. This emotional imprint left on graves grants us insight into beliefs and values and perceptions of mortality that were most important to a certain time and people.”

Maddie Kennell ’21, a health equity major, has earned a spot in the 2021-2022 Teaching Assistant Program in France, a program of the French Ministry of National Education. In October, she will travel to Évreux, a town in Normandy, to work until April 2022 as part of The Teaching Assistant Program in France. Recruiting and promotion are managed by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States, and the program’s goal is to strengthen English-language instruction in French schools by establishing a native speaker presence.

Julia Beckel '22 and Patrick Reddick ’23 are working as BGCM interns as part of Rhodes’ Summer Service Fellowship, an intensive program designed to help students gain real work experience with a local nonprofit. “I do feel like I have made an impact,” says Reddick, “and I feel more connected to the Memphis community. Meeting with the Summer Service Fellows once a week has also been a great experience, as I have learned more about the challenges that face Memphis and the ways that different nonprofits combat these issues.”

Jenny Shuting Li ’18 wrote her senior thesis at Rhodes on the topic of francophone literature and film, and recently her passion for French cinema fueled her journalistic work at the celebrated Cannes Film Festival.

Rhodes College President Emeritus William E. Troutt has written a book titled A President’s Guide to Effective Board Leadership. Published by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, this new resource details actions and attributes that will yield effective, mutually beneficial partnerships between higher education presidents and governing boards while elevating institutions’ long-term strategies.

The Rhodes College Orchestra is a finalist in the college/university division of The American Prize national non-profit competitions in the performing arts. The orchestra is being recognized for a 2018 performance of Terry Riley’s In C, including video by Karl Erickson, assistant professor of art at Rhodes, and lighting work by alumnus Marcus Tate ’19.

Dr. Timothy Huebner, associate provost and the Irma O. Sternberg Professor of History at Rhodes College, has been admitted into the 2021–2022 Senior Leadership Academy of the Council of Independent Colleges and the American Academic Leadership Institute. Up to 40 participants from independent colleges and universities are selected for the competitive year-long program, which is intended for administrators advancing in responsibilities in college administration or seeking senior leadership positions.

Rhodes College physics major Giuliana Hofheins ’22 has been selected to receive a Society of Physics Students (SPS) Leadership Scholarship for $4,000 based on her outstanding academic performance and SPS participation. She is co-founder of Rhodes’ Aerospace Engineering Club and president of SPS at Rhodes.

Art students at Rhodes this spring found new opportunities to express themselves virtually. Including collaborations with artists in the Memphis community and with support from faculty, their work culminated in three major projects that are available to view virtually on the Rhodes College website.

The Mike Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes College's New Arboretum Records label has released a new arrangement of "America the Beautiful" that recasts the song in Memphis and the Mississippi Delta and features Bobby Rush, Eddie Cotton, A-list Memphis musicians, and Rhodes College students.