National and global news about Rhodes students and alums

Dr. Erin Bodine, associate professor of mathematics; Dr. Sarah Boyle, associate professor of biology; and Dr. Loretta Jackson-Hayes, professor of chemistry and director of scholarly and creative activity mentoring, are members of the inaugural cohort of the Advancing STEM Careers by Empowering Network Development (ASCEND). ASCEND is funded by a nearly million-dollar National Science Foundation grant that runs through September 2024.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, medical professionals are finding themselves in uncharted territories on a daily basis. Rhodes alumna Sally Goza M.D., FAAP, of Fayetteville, GA, knows firsthand what these professionals, particularly pediatricians, are coping with. She is the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Ramiz Somjee, a junior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology at Rhodes College, is among 396 college sophomores and juniors nationwide selected as a 2020 Goldwater Scholar. Established in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, the scholarship program was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Jenna Faust ’20 has been selected for a Student Services Fellowship by Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, Greece, for the 2020-2021 academic year. The program serves as an educational bridge between the United States and Greece, seeking to promote American liberal arts educational values with traditional Greek pedagogy and learning.

Dr. Brooke Schedneck, assistant professor of religious studies at Rhodes, has published widely in fields of Asian studies, Buddhist studies, and religious studies. Her latest book is a co-edited volume with Courtney Bruntz of Doane University titled Buddhist Tourism in Asia.

Maleelo Shamambo, a neuroscience major and French minor at Rhodes College, is one of only 47 college seniors nationwide to receive the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provides a $36,000 grant for one year of independent study and travel outside the United States after graduation. Her project is titled “Pills and Potions: Indigenous Knowledge in Modern Medicine,” and she seeks to explore how different communities integrate traditional knowledge systems into modern science and medicine while charting the traditional and scientific value of indigenous medicinal plant specimens.

Scott Newstok, professor of English at Rhodes, has published his edition of Michael Cavanagh’s Paradise Lost: A Primer. Cavanagh, a Grinnell College professor who was Newstok’s mentor, passed away before he could revise his manuscript. Newstok worked with Cavanagh’s family to complete the volume, which introduces first-time readers to John Milton’s 1667 epic poem.

A team of five Rhodes seniors recently won the local competition of the Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) Institute Research Challenge, and now will match wits and analytical skills against other student teams advancing to the regional competition to be held April 20-21 in New York City. They are Ted Bilden (business), Liza Esther (economics and business), Elliot Gorski (economics and business), John Medich (mathematics and economics), and Andrew Morton (business).

With primary elections underway throughout the U.S., Dr. Michael Nelson, a recognized Presidential scholar and the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes, is discussing his new book on Bill Clinton’s place in American politics.

Joon Hwang '21 spent the summer in Hong Kong as a Mertie W. Buckman International Intern. There, he not only learned about business, but became a firsthand witness to the historic events happening in the city.