Professor of History Michael Drompp, whose career at Rhodes College spans more than 30 years, will deliver a retirement lecture titled “Asian Studies and the Liberal Arts: A Life of Teaching and Learning” on April 19 in Blount Auditorium. Hosted by the Asian Studies Program and the Department of History and open to the campus community, the event begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Attendees are required to wear a face mask.
Drompp, who will retire at the end of the academic year, joined the Rhodes faculty in 1989 and has taught courses on Chinese, Japanese, Inner Asian, and general East Asian history. He helped to create the Asian Studies and Chinese Studies programs and in 1999 was awarded the college’s Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching.
In 2018, he was presented the Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service. Drompp has served the college in a wide variety of capacities including serving as chair of the Department of History for eight years, chair of the Asian Studies Program for 17 years, chief academic officer for six years, and president of the college’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter for three years.