National and global news about Rhodes students and alums

Ryan D. Mire ‘93, MD, FACP has been named President-elect of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Mire earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Rhodes. He also serves on the Rhodes College Board of Trustees, is a past member of the Rhodes Alumni Executive Board, and previously received the Black Student Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Senior English major Shaliz Barzani has been awarded The Steve and Riea Lainoff Crop Trust Fellowship in Honor of Cary Fowler. The fellowship is made possible through the generosity of Steve and Riea Lainoff, parents of Rhodes graduates Brian Lainoff ’11 and Mark Lainoff ’15. As a fellow, Barzani will join the Partnerships Team of the Global Crop Diversity Trust in Bonn, Germany, in August 2021. The 12-month fellowship provides the opportunity for a recent graduate to develop an understanding of the Crop Trust’s work and the issues associated with agricultural biodiversity conservation.

Katherine Polster, who is pursuing a master’s degree in urban education at Rhodes College, is the recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Award for the 2021-2022 academic year. She will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan beginning in the fall. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.

Jasmine Turner ’03, who has more than a decade of experience in molecular virus detection methods, is currently conducting COVID-19 research. She works as a research lab specialist in the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “You do not have to major in a natural science to pursue a career in scientific research,” she says. “I work with people from all walks of life, and I have learned that exposure to disciplines outside of science can really help foster the innovation needed to drive science forward.”

Dr. Loretta Jackson-Hayes, the James H. Daughdrill Professor in the Natural Sciences, is a 2021 recipient of the Outstanding Mentorship Award from the Council on Undergraduate Research’s (CUR) Chemistry Division. The division recognizes transformative mentoring and advising by higher education faculty across all subdivisions of chemistry. Each includes a cash prize and a certificate of recognition.

Dr. Shana Stoddard, assistant professor of chemistry, is a 2021 recipient of the Mentor Award presented by the Council on Undergraduate Research’s (CUR) Health Sciences Division. The division recognizes transformative mentoring and advising by higher education faculty across all subdivisions of health sciences—wellness, disease, health care, and health management—with awards in the early career, mid-career, and advanced career categories. Each award includes a cash prize and a certificate of recognition.

Rhodes is among 14 small research satellites and the only liberal arts college selected by NASA for the 2021 CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). Rhodes’ CubeSat, called RHOK-SAT will fly as an auxiliary payload aboard a rocket to reach its low earth orbit. RHOK-SAT is led by Professor of Physics Brent Hoffmeister, Associate Professor of Physics Ann Viano, Project Director Joe McPherson, and a group of students led by Giuliana Hofheins ’22, Ben Wilson ’22, and Eli Matlock ’21.

Dr. Cara Djonko-Moore, assistant professor of educational studies at Rhodes College, is the recipient of a Fulbright Global Scholar Program award, granted by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. She will conduct research in 2022 at universities in Canada and Finland as part of a project to learn how teacher educators in international contexts address issues of diversity in their teacher education programs.

Dr. Evan Williams, assistant professor of music and director of instrumental activities at Rhodes College, was selected from a group of talented and diverse active composers worldwide. He plans to compose a fantasia-like piece of many moods, reflective of the poetry of Claude McKay, a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

Jacob Fontaine is among 42 select graduating 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. Fontaine is an international studies and economics major from Flower Mound, TX. His project is titled “Fostering Environmentalism through Culture, Religion, and Policy,” with proposed destinations including Norway, Malaysia, South Korea, and Argentina. He seeks to explore what factors influence young adults around the world to make environmentally sustainable decisions.