News and relevant information about Rhodes students, faculty, and staff making the most of living in Memphis.

Shreya Visvanathan ’22, a chemistry and health equity double major who aspires to become a physician, has been exploring the topic “The Role of Healthcare Providers on Childbirth Experiences” as a Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies fellow this summer. “My research was heavily influenced by Memphis, which has a high maternal mortality rate but also an amazing network of doulas and other incredible organizations that do the work to combat this problem,” she says.

“Cemeteries are as much for the living as they are for the dead,” says Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies fellow, artist, and economics major Elizabeth Mueller ’23, who has been conducting research this summer on how local history is revealed by grave symbols and iconography in Memphis’ historic Elmwood Cemetery. “When a loved one dies, family and friends make decisions about how form, symbolism, and epitaph will embody the deceased for eternity. This emotional imprint left on graves grants us insight into beliefs and values and perceptions of mortality that were most important to a certain time and people.”

Julia Beckel '22 and Patrick Reddick ’23 are working as BGCM interns as part of Rhodes’ Summer Service Fellowship, an intensive program designed to help students gain real work experience with a local nonprofit. “I do feel like I have made an impact,” says Reddick, “and I feel more connected to the Memphis community. Meeting with the Summer Service Fellows once a week has also been a great experience, as I have learned more about the challenges that face Memphis and the ways that different nonprofits combat these issues.”

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.

Becca Risman '21 has used her passion for community engagement in Memphis as an Urban Fellow; studied urban planning in Sevilla, Spain; and will soon serve as a Work First Fellow in New York City with America Works, a nonprofit that seeks to alleviate poverty in major cities.

Rhodes’ liberal arts curriculum encourages students to choose courses across academic disciplines, whatever their major or career goals. Emma Thames '21, who is pursuing a degree in English literature while preparing for medical school, combines skills and perspectives learned in all of her courses as she strengthens her ideas of how to be the best possible physician.

Clarence Day Scholar Russ Palmer ’21 earned the title of Battalion Commander in the ROTC program by the start of his senior year and was named cadet of the month last October, a national recognition that acknowledges the outstanding performance of an individual both in the classroom and in training.

For the past decade, students in Dr. Sarah Boyle’s Animal Behavior course have been granted access to the Memphis Zoo to design behavioral research projects in collaboration with the zoo. These research projects have addressed many topics, but 10 independent studies on 16 species have focused on the impact of zoo visitors on animal behavior. Now the research has been published in the journal Animals for its special issue on evidence-based practice in zoo animal management.

A remote semester at Rhodes has offered new challenges, but also opportunities for students to get creative. Seniors Harrison Rozman, Katie Gordon, and Ellie Schreiner have used this time to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.