With a richly interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum, Rhodes fosters a tradition of academic exploration. Sam Lippe ’25 not only embodies this tradition in his own academic pursuits, but also inspires it in other Rhodes students. The Brentwood, TN, native is majoring in mathematics, minoring in physics and music, and highlighting the value of his interdisciplinary experiences to his peers every step of the way through extracurricular and teaching endeavors.
Lippe intended to major in chemistry, but kept an open mind when his advisor steered him towards mathematics courses. He fell in love with the subject and, as early as his sophomore year, became involved with the department’s research—both in the field of pure math and the field of math education. He continues the math education research he began with Dr. Erika Parr, assistant professor of mathematics, and is published in a peer-reviewed journal as her coauthor.
In addition, Lippe has served as a supplemental instructor for an introductory calculus course and found that through teaching, he, and not just his students, gained a better understanding of and deeper appreciation for the fundamentals of calculus.
A lover of fun—and sometimes explosive and theatrical—experiments, Lippe joined the Society of Physics Students (SPS) as a first-year and became a physics peer tutor. “SPS introduced me to our wonderful physics department and gave me an outlet for my love of science education,” he says. “I eventually chose to minor in the subject so that I could better explain interesting physics phenomena to others.”
Lippe’s interests aren’t limited to STEM—he has been playing guitar for eight years, piano for three, and loves to mess around with anything with strings, picking up some banjo, ukulele, and mandolin over the years. In fact, music was the only area he was certain he’d pursue when he began college, and he found that it meshed with his other academic interests better than he expected.
“Taking both math and music classes has given me an appreciation for the analytical side of music, such as music theory, and having the physics background lets me explain why things sound the way they do,” he says. “In combination with the emotional nature of music, my STEM classes have allowed me to form a beautiful connection between two seemingly different things.”
Outside of classes, research, and teaching, Lippe finds time for both career-oriented goals and club activities. He recently completed an internship with Urban Science, a data analytics company that studies trends in the automobile industry, and is now considering data science as a post-graduation pursuit. He also spends time rock climbing with Rockin’ Rhodes and plays on Rhodes’ ultimate frisbee team, Rhodekill. “I never thought I’d get into either of these activities, but fell in love with them and their communities,” he says.
Lippe will graduate in May 2025 with a robust academic background including wide-ranging coursework, teaching experience, published research, and an internship. Reflecting on his interdisciplinary college career, he has one message for incoming students: “Don’t be afraid to branch out and try things that might interest you. There’s a whole world of ideas out there and having exposure to a variety of topics has allowed me to make connections across fields that I never would have made if I had only pursued one subject.”
By Hannah Meit ’25