Five Rhodes students—Seongjoon Hwang ’21, Meredith Bacue ’21, Aaron Weist ’21, Joe Hernandez ’21, and Khanh Ton ’23—won awards for their geographic information system research projects presented as part of Memphis Area Geographic Information Council’s virtual event held this spring.

Rhodes College is one of “50 Best Colleges in Big Cities,” as compiled by Stacker and featured by Newsweek. Stacker considered colleges in cities with populations of more than 300,000. “Rhodes is one of the few liberal arts colleges in a major city, providing opportunities for students to explore passions and professional pathways through internships, fellowships, and community engagement before graduation,” says Vice President for Student Life Meghan Harte Weyant.

Last year, Rhodes’ Africana Studies Program launched a new academic major all while classes met online during a global pandemic. The college conferred a diploma on the major’s first graduate, Molly Webster ’21, at commencement May 15.

Three Rhodes College students are among undergraduates recently selected to receive the prestigious Boren Scholarship, which funds study abroad with the goal of immersing students in a language critical to U.S. national security interests. Keira Larson ’21 will study Arabic in Jordan, as will James Blan ’23 in the United Arab Emirates. Thomas Cloyd ’22 is going to Azerbaijan to study Turkish. Sponsored by the National Security Education Program and administered by the Institute of International Education, the Boren Scholarships provide up to $25,000, depending on the duration of overseas study.

Dr. Brooke Schedneck’s latest book is "Religious Tourism in Northern Thailand: Encounters with Buddhist Monks." The book is based on her in-depth research into tourism, urbanization, and education as important factors transforming the Buddhist temples of Chiang Mai, where Schedneck lived for eight years.

Rhodes College will phase out its major in theatre starting in 2021, citing a lack in student interest in majoring in the discipline, provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Katherine Bassard announced. The college will work to establish co-curricular opportunities for students interested in theatre both on campus and in Memphis’ vibrant performing arts community.

Rhodes College celebrated the commencement of the Classes of 2020 and 2021 May 15. Their degrees were officially conferred May 2020. Rhodes also awarded the 2021 commencement awards, which include some of the highest honors the college recognizes.

The 2021 Clarence Day Awards for Outstanding Teaching and for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity are awarded to Dr. Brian Larkins and Dr. Scott Newstok, respectively. The Clarence Day Awards, presented to two faculty members each year, are two of the college’s highest honors for its faculty.

Six seniors’ portraits have been added to Rhodes’ Hall of Fame on the second floor of Southwestern Hall. They are K’nori Bone, Jacob Fontaine, Betsy John, Hannah Johns, Sydney Jones, and Mary Thomas. Selection to the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1931, is based on individual merit, leadership in student activities, service to others, and overall contributions to the campus community. Honorees are chosen by their peers.