News and information about the Rhodes classroom experience.

Dr. Shana Stoddard, assistant professor of chemistry, and students in her research lab have co-authored articles recently published in two peer-reviewed journals—the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry. They have successfully tested several of the designed drugs that have the potential to be cancer therapeutics. Current work in the lab is focused on synthesis of more drug candidates that have been identified in the lab.

Dr. Elizabeth Pettinaroli, associate professor of Spanish and chair of Latin American and Latinx Studies at Rhodes, has a new book out titled Ecofictions, Ecorealities and Slow Violence in Latin America and the Latinx World (Routledge, 2019), which focuses on works denouncing extractivism in Latinx and Latin American literature, visual and performance arts, and film. She co-edited this volume of critical studies with Dr. Ana María Mutis of Trinity University and Dr. Ilka Kressner of the University of Albany.

Dr. Patrick Shade, associate professor of philosophy at Rhodes College, is the author of the book Habits of Hope. His teaching and research interests include medical ethics, care ethics, the history of philosophy, and philosophy of education.

Dr. Will Eckenhoff, assistant professor of chemistry, and his team of undergraduate researchers have published work in the journal Inorganic Chemistry. The research has potential applications in the production and performance of dye-sensitized solar cells, which can contribute to renewable energy.

In the teaching and learning track of the Educational Studies program, Rhodes senior Madison Treas has deepened her understanding of the effects of privilege and poverty in school systems. Through an urban studies course that ties to her educational studies major, Treas was able to interview teachers from schools in the Memphis area in order to gain insight into inequalities in the classroom based on school location and environment, students’ socio-economic backgrounds, and educational opportunities being offered.

Chemistry alumna Rebeca Roldan ’19 is first author on an article based on her undergraduate research published in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters. “I am so honored to have been a part of getting this paper published, and I am especially proud of Dr. Larryn Peterson and the excellent science that is coming out of her lab,” says Roldan. “The experiences I gained and the mentorship I received in that lab, the chemistry department, and Rhodes as a whole gave me the confidence I needed as a young chemist, preparing me well for graduate school and beyond.”

Dr. Charles McKinney and Dr. Charles Hughes of Rhodes College are contributors to Understanding and Teaching the Civil Rights Movement published by University of Wisconsin Press. Chapters provide strategies for teaching famous and forgotten civil rights people and places.

Warming oceans. Wildfires. Shifting weather patterns. This semester, Rhodes College is offering a new course dedicated to one of the most challenging global issues—climate change. The liberal arts environment of Rhodes is uniquely suited for important conversations about this subject, since it cuts across many disciplines. The spring 2020 course is a collaboration between Dr. David Rupke and Dr. Sarah Boyle.

Rhodes sophomore Scott Wicker and chemistry professor Dr. William Eckenhoff have been investigating artificial photosynthesis in the production of hydrogen gas, which is a promising alternative fuel that could one day replace gasoline as a transportation fuel.

Rhodes College’s German Program is featured in an article about successful language programs actively building new communities and connections. It appears in the Fall 2019 issue of Profession, which is published by the Modern Language Association (MLA), one of the world’s largest scholarly associations.