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.

Dr. Charles L. Hughes, director of the Lynne and Henry Turley Memphis Center at Rhodes College, conducts research, publishes articles, and gives talks on topics related to the recording industry of the U.S. South. Now he has published a new book, Why Bushwick Bill Matters, about a member of the Houston hip-hop trio Geto Boys who gained mainstream popularity in the late 1980s.

Rhodes College is profiled in the 30th anniversary and 2022 edition of the college guide—The Best 387 Colleges— published by education services company The Princeton Review. New to the guide are the “Great Lists” identifying schools that have had an impressive history of appearances on its ranking lists. Rhodes earned a spot in the “Most Beautiful Campus” category. The Princeton Review also produces ranking lists of the 200 best value colleges each year based on categories including academics, affordability, financial aid, and graduation rates. For 2021, Rhodes is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Internships and Top 50 Best Value Colleges (Private).

“You can’t have Rhodes without the city of Memphis.” That’s how Priscilla Foreman ’23 sums up her experience as a marketing intern at City Leadership through Rhodes’ 2021 Summer Service Fellowship Program. “This internship has made me feel more confident, and proud, to call myself a Memphian . . . From all of the different people I've met through my time serving at City Leadership to all of the talented students, faculty, and staff at Rhodes, I feel confident in a future here in Memphis, TN, helping to continue the great things already happening in this city.”

Although from different parts of the globe and with a diversity of talents and interests, members of the Rhodes College Class of 2025 have something in common: they are now all part of the Rhodes family. Of its more than 2,000 students, the college saw an increase in the number of first-time, first-year (FTFY) students. Approximately 598 FTFY students are enrolled for Fall 2021, representing 42 states and 35 countries.