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.

Four Rhodes College seniors are competing for the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provides a $36,000 grant for purposeful, independent exploration abroad in 2022. If selected, fellows execute their conceived projects by traveling outside the United States for one year. They are Chris Prigg, Aidan Smith, Marley Wisby, and Lauren Yenari.

Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, professor of psychology and Plough Chair of Urban Studies at Rhodes College, was presented the 2021 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service at the college’s Opening Convocation held Oct. 21 in Fisher Memorial Garden. Opening Convocation was postponed until after fall recess to allow the campus community to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This ceremony marks a new academic session and welcomes the new Rhodes class.

Working toward a more equitable healthcare system in the United States means understanding the social and cultural determinants of health. Rhodes College, thanks in part to a three-year grant received from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2019, has been robustly incorporating issues of health equity into its liberal arts curriculum; developing health equity education in Memphis hospitals for current and future physicians; and deepening partnerships with healthcare, cultural, and social justice organizations.

The New York City Internship Program runs through mid-December for a total of 16 academic credits. It is made up of an eight-hour academic internship and two courses. One course focuses on the theater industry, on and off Broadway, as well as the personal, cultural, and professional value of theater. The other course delves into the history of the people of New York. Fieldtrips and walking tours to New York City’s neighborhoods, museums, and other cultural venues are part of the course content.

After a year of virtual programming, the Clough-Hanson Gallery at Rhodes College has reopened to the public with a new exhibition of works by Prof. Raina Belleau of the Department of Art and Art History. Inspired by pre-pandemic 2020 wildfire eruptions, "Enchanted Forest Fire" offers a chance to reflect upon our emotional repertoire during the drastic shifts of events in our surrounding environment.

Rhodes College music faculty and guests will perform the world premiere of Sohrab and Rustum in New York City on Oct. 10. The one-act opera is written by award-winning New York composer Lucas Mason, who will attend the performance. The cast will perform the opera at Rhodes in November.

Rhodes College’s 2021 alumni awards were presented during the college’s Homecoming/Reunion Weekend Oct. 1-2. Dr. Stephen C. Threlkeld from the Class of 1986 received the Distinguished Alumni Award; Anna M. Laymon from the Class of 2011 the Young Alumni Award; and Florence M. Johnson from the Class of 1988 the Black Student Association Distinguished Alumni Award.

Senior Brendan Fusco’s commitment to varsity sports hasn’t stopped the international studies and Spanish major from engaging the opportunities offered by Rhodes. “As a year-round student-athlete competing in cross country and track, I don’t have as much time to complete traditional programs in internships and study abroad,” says Fusco. “Because of this, the Mertie Buckman program over the summer was the perfect way for me to get to do both . . . I believe that the work experience, linguistic opportunities, and independent travel [of the Mertie Buckman program] make for an invaluable combination in terms of professional development."

Rhodes College continues to be listed with America’s best colleges on annual rankings including the ones by The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report. Forbes magazine recently released its list of “America’s Top Colleges 2021,” and Rhodes is ranked 179th out of only 600 colleges and universities in the country that made the cut.