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.

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

Former Rhodes president Dr. Marjorie Hass has published a new book, A Leadership Guide for Women in Higher Education, with John Hopkins University Press. The leadership guide, which was released August 10, offers wisdom and practical lessons in professional identity, negotiating power and conflict, finding joy in your work, growing as a leader, crafting a vision, building skills, and winning the job of president or senior college leader.

U.S. News and World Report has released its 2022 Best Colleges Rankings. Now in its 37th year, the rankings evaluate more than 1,400 colleges and universities on measures of academic quality. Rhodes College ranked No. 29 among national liberal arts colleges recognized for Best Undergraduate Teaching. It is one of only four national liberal arts colleges that made U.S. News’ Best Colleges for Veterans based on participation in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.

Meet four Resident Advisors at Rhodes College— Emma Dove ’23, English and chemistry major from Baton Rouge, LA; Sujung Hwang ’22, educational studies and English major from Seoul, South Korea; Liam McDade ’23, chemistry major from New Orleans, LA; and Jasmine DuMaine ’23, biology major from St. Louis, MO.

Dr. Shana Stoddard, the new director for student mentoring, understands the importance of having a network of mentors. When she joined the Rhodes’ Department of Chemistry in 2015 as a William Randolph Hearst Teaching Fellow, she received dynamic mentoring from Professors of Chemistry Darlene Loprete, Jon Russ, and Loretta Jackson-Hayes. The intentional and supportive trio promoted Stoddard’s own development as a teacher-scholar-mentor. At Rhodes, Stoddard has become a mentor herself, making herself available to students, bolstering their confidence and encouraging their pursuit of postgraduate work, especially women and students of color.

Mia Harris ’23, a biology major from Hermitage, TN, got to have a unique experience this summer as an Animal Behavior and Conservation Fellow at the Memphis Zoo. As part of this Rhodes fellowship, she was involved in daily behavioral data collection on four female African elephants. Harris became interested in the zoo’s art enrichment activities for animals and was provided with an art piece painted by Gina, matriarch of the zoo’s African elephant herd. Harris then painted around Gina’s work to create the face of Tyranza, who was the herd’s previous matriarch and the oldest female elephant in North America when she passed away in 2020 at age 56.

Rhodes College welcomes 20 new faculty to its distinguished roster for the 2021-2022 academic year in the areas of anthropology and sociology, biology, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, modern languages and literatures, neuroscience, political science, psychology, religious studies, and urban studies.