News and information about the Rhodes campus experience.

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.

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.

Jazmine Rodriguez, new dean of equity and engagement in the Division of Student Life, has been a higher education administrator for nearly a decade. She comes to Rhodes College from Northwestern University, where she was a recruitment and operations specialist and assistant director in Campus Life. Prior to her time in Evanston, IL, she worked at Rollins College in Orlando, FL, as director of fraternity and sorority life and assistant director of residential life. Her extensive experience in programming includes student leadership; data-driven, needs-based programs focused on the nine dimensions of wellness; campus traditions; and student retention and success.

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.

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.

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.