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.

At an on-campus celebration on Dec. 6, 2021, Rhodes College announced the appointment of Jennifer M. Collins as its 21st president following a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees.

Rhodes College has become a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), an organization that empowers faculty, administrators, staff, and students in making strides for a more sustainable future. AASHE defines sustainability in an inclusive way that encompasses human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations. Membership covers every individual at an institution so that the entire campus can take advantage of member benefits.

Rhodes College faculty continuously explore topics in their areas of expertise and produce publishable work. The roundup shares their latest research.

Erika Pope, musical arts coordinator for the Rhodes Department of Music, serves as the 39th National President of Tau Beta Sigma, which is a co-educational National Honorary Band Sorority. Dr. Carole Blankenship, chair of the Rhodes Department of Music, is finishing up a two-year term as president of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Ava Mitra, a senior neuroscience major from Bangladesh, shares with us her experience of adapting to American culture while shaping and adapting her own identity. Finding her communities through involvement in cultural groups, club sports, and classrooms—in particular, the neuroscience labs where she has conducted research all four years—and through sharing her culture and experiences with others, Mitra has forged strong connections while achieving academic success at Rhodes.

Dr. Timothy Huebner, the Irma O. Sternberg Professor of History and associate provost at Rhodes College, has been named chair of the board of editors of the Journal of Supreme Court History, published three times a year by the Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, DC. In June 2021, Melvin I. Urofsky retired from the position after serving the Supreme Court Historical Society for 30 years.

Audiences of the Rhodes Theatre Guild’s upcoming production—The Eternal Sleepover—will interrogate suspects, discover clues, and uncover lies to solve a whodunnit. Co-directed by Eliana Mabe ’23 and Caitlin Evans ’22, the student-led show runs Nov. 19-20. The crime, backstory, and main acting scenes will occur in Blount Auditorium, while character interrogations will occur in Buckman Hall’s first floor classrooms. To join in on the sleepover theme, the audience is asked to attend in pajamas.

Housing thousands of works of art, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is a staple of Midtown and a frequent afternoon excursion for Rhodes students. For Olivia Lane '22 and Fatima Leal '23, who both interned at the museum this past summer, Brooks is now home to their first forays into professional curation. “Rhodes students are receiving an education that will not be complete without ties like this one,” says Leal. “To be involved in the larger tessellation that is Memphis is to truly experience the city that is giving us a home for four years."

Rhodes College is discontinuing its Master of Arts in Urban Education program effective July 1, 2022, says Dr. Katherine Bassard, provost and vice president for academic affairs, due to loss of external funding. “The decision to end the program is a difficult one,” says Bassard. “Ultimately it was decided it would be in the best interest of students and faculty to retain the popular and effective undergraduate curriculum while not trying to maintain a graduate program without the necessary resources.” Rhodes will not be recruiting students in the Master of Arts in Urban Education program for fall 2022 and beyond. “We remain absolutely committed to supporting students currently enrolled in the program and to giving them an opportunity to complete their degrees,” says Bassard.