The Magazine of Rhodes College • Fall 2012 THE SCIENCES AT RHODES Past, Present and Future Fall 2012 cover.indd 1 10/15/12 3:08 PM FALL 2012 Contents VOLUME 19 • NUMBER 3 2 Campus News Briefs on campus happenings 5 The Sciences at Rhodes—Past, Present and Future Conversations with faculty, alumni and current students who majored in or are currently engaged in one of the six science disciplines Rhodes offers: 6 The Biochemists and Molecular Biologists Professor Terry Hill, Amanda Johnson Winters ’99, Ross 10 Hilliard ’07, Xiao Wang ’13 10 The Biologists Professor Gary Lindquester, Veronica Lawson Gunn ’91, Brian Wamhoff ’96, Anahita Rahimi-Saber ’13 14 The Chemists Professor Darlene Loprete, Sid Strickland ’68, Tony Capizzani ’95, Ashley Tufton ’13 18 The Environmental Scientists Professor Rosanna Cappellato, Cary Fowler ’71, Christopher Wilson ’95, Alix Matthews ’14 22 The Neuroscientists Professor Robert Strandburg, Jim Robertson ’53 and Jon Robertson ’68, Michael Long ’97, Piper Carroll ’13 14 26 The Physicists Professor Brent Hoffmeister, Harry Swinney ’61, Charles Robertson Jr. ’65, Lars Monia ’15 30 A Case for the Support of the Sciences at Rhodes The importance of strengthening the sciences in the 21st century 32 Alumni News Class Notes, In Memoriam The 2011-2012 Honor Roll of Donors On the Cover From left: Alix Matthews ’14, Ashley Tufton ’13, Piper Carroll ’13, Lars Monia ’15 and Xiao Wang ’13, fi ve of the six science majors featured in this issue, at the Lynx 26 sculpture in front of the Peyton Nalle Rhodes Tower, home of the Physics Department Photography by Justin Fox Burks Contents_Fall ’12.indd 1 10/15/12 3:05 PM is published three times a year by Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112 as a service to all alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends of the college. Fall 2012—Volume 19, Number 3 EDITOR Martha Hunter Shepard ’66 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Larry Ahokas Robert Shatzer CONTRIBUTORS Richard Alley, Virginia Arcari, Nicholas Brydon ’12, Justin Fox Burks, Scarlett D’Anna ’12, Carson Irwin ’08, Dennis Kunkel, Allen Mims, Allison Rodgers, Richard Smith LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Please address postal correspondence, to: Martha H. Shepard, Editor, Rhodes Magazine, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 Email: [email protected] Phone: (901) 843-3544 Fax: (901) 843-3579 CLASS NOTES: Please send all Class Notes, including marriages, births and obituaries to: Alumni Offi ce, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 Phone: (901) 843-3845 Fax: (901) 843-3947 Email: [email protected] RHODES CENTRAL INFORMATION: 901-843-3000 {WEB EXTRAS} RHODES ALUMNI OFFICE: 1 (800) 264-LYNX Visit rhodes.edu/news for the latest stories and features about people RHODES ADMISSION OFFICE: and events. 1 (800) 844-LYNX POSTMASTER: Visit rhodes.edu/magazine, or scan the code, to see both the online Send address changes to: RHODES, 2000 North Parkway, and print versions of the magazine. While there, be sure to check out Memphis, TN 38112-1690 the web-only content: CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please mail the completed form below and • Videos of: label from this issue of RHODES to: Associate Professor of Religious Studies Luther Ivory’s Opening Alumni Offi ce, Rhodes College, 2000 North Convocation address Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 Name Maggie Cupit ’14, St. Jude Summer Plus Fellow Street West Village move-in City State Zip West Village construction time lapse Home Phone Business Phone Rat Safari—students explore the renovated refectory E-mail • In Print—new books by faculty and alumni Employer Title Contents_Fall ’12.indd 2 10/15/12 3:06 PM CAMPUS NEWS New Refectory and Residence Hall Enhance the Campus Experience JUSTIN FOX BURKS Cutting the ribbon at the remodeled refectory, left to right: Thomas Threlkeld ’16, the fourth generation of Threlkelds to attend Rhodes, and a Clarence Day Scholar; Devon Shiland ’15, an undeclared major focused in the areas of humanities and the social sciences; Tom Dorer, regional vice president, ARAMARK Corp.; Bill Michaelcheck ’69, chairman, Rhodes Board of Trustees; Mary Catherine Reeves ’13, Rhodes Student Government president and student trustee; President Bill Troutt; David Jeter, Chemistry professor and senior member of the faculty; Jane Wright, CEO and President, Hanbury Evans, Wright and Vlattas Architects; Shane Watson ’14, president of the Black Student Association; Justin Grinder of Grinder, Taber & Grinder, General Contractors; Martha McGeachy ’88, Rhodes Department of Human Resources. Under the arch: John Rone ’71, director of College Events and the Meeman Center Along with 550 new fi rst-year a fi reside lounge, new kitchen, new houses 141 students, mostly juniors, in students, Rhodes also welcomed two private dining rooms and a new dining six- and eight-person apartment-style additions to its campus at the start of hall. Menu options range from stir-fry to suites. Mary Reed ’14 is a resident of the 2012-13 academic year–the newly vegan fare to baked goods, the majority West Village who lives with fi ve of her refurbished and expanded Catherine of which are freshly prepared in the friends in a three-room suite with a Burrow Refectory, and the new West exhibition-style servery. spacious common area. Reed says she Village Residence Hall. Both facilities “Every time I’m with people who have has already taken advantage of the large represent signifi cant additions and just walked into the refectory for the kitchen downstairs, and is enjoying the changes to the college campus. fi rst time, I feel like they spend the fi rst fact that there are laundry facilities on Originally built in 1925, the refectory 30 seconds with their mouths open,” each fl oor. was last remodeled 25 years ago when says Rhodes Diplomat and Student Both of the new buildings, along the student body was substantially Trustee Robbie Cook ’13. with the Moore Moore Student smaller. The renovations, which have The Rhodes community celebrated Health Center and Glassell Residence expanded the building by 19,000 square the grand opening of the refectory with Hall, create a beautiful new quad, feet, include a spacious new grand a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 20. which students have already utilized servery, which is approximately three West Village is the newest addition to for recreational and organizational times larger than the previous two the 17 residential buildings on campus. purposes, such as barbecues and serving areas combined. There are also The 52,000-square-foot structure outdoor movie screenings. { 2 } F A L L 2 0 1 2 • R H O D E S rhodes.edu Campus News2.indd 1 10/15/12 2:53 PM Professor Milton Moreland Receives 2012 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service JUSTIN FOX BURKS The award received its name in 2005 in honor of Dr. Jameson M. Jones ’36, who served as professor of Moral Philosophy and dean of the college from 1955 to 1971. Professor Moreland’s record of service is keenly focused on bringing together faculty with the motivation and expertise necessary to provide exceptional learning opportunities for students. Under his leadership, the Archaeology Program has created a new academic minor along with student involvement in multiple projects and activities such as the Rhodes College Archaeological Field School at Ames Plantation, and a new archaeology lab on campus. Through his coordination of the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies each summer since 2007, he has worked with faculty to provide research Professor Milton Moreland receives award from Dean Michael Drompp opportunities for students in a range of disciplines across our curriculum. Dr. Milton Moreland, associate honors a current faculty member who And as director of the Memphis Center, professor of Religious Studies, chair of has rendered exemplary service and Professor Moreland is working to create the Archaeology Program and director provided leadership to the Rhodes new opportunities for faculty-student of the Memphis Center at Rhodes, is community, was presented during the collaboration focusing on the study of the 2012 recipient of the Jameson college’s Opening Convocation Aug. Memphis and the Mid-South region. M. Jones Award for Outstanding 17, which marked the opening of our Faculty Service. The award, which 164th academic year. JUSTIN FOX BURKS Crain Field Dedication The Rhodes Lynx football team opened the season Sept. 8 against the Washington University Bears from St. Louis. The game marked the dedication of the newly christened Crain Field and a new era for Rhodes football. Thanks to the generosity of Brenda and Lester Crain Jr. ’51 (right), the new state-of-the-art FieldTurf gives current and future Rhodes athletes a consistent surface on which to practice and play. Lester Crain Jr. ’51 rhodes.edu F A L L 2 0 1 2 • R H O D E S { 3 } Campus News2.indd 2 10/15/12 2:54 PM Rhodes Welcomes New Faculty Kimberly Brien joins Department of Religious Studies as assistant professor. He received his Ph.D. the Department of Chemistry as assistant professor. She received her from the University of Maryland. assistant professor. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Ronald Pepino, assistant professor Ph.D. in Organometallic Chemistry Berkeley. of Physics, received his Ph.D. from the from Texas Christian University. Ben Holder, assistant professor of University of Colorado. Maya Evans, assistant professor of Physics, received his Ph.D. in Physics Jade Planchon ’05 joins the Political Science, received her Ph.D. in from the University of Texas at Austin. Department of Commerce and Political Science from the University of Kendra Hotz, who has been a Business as instructor of Finance. She Illinois at Chicago. faculty member of the Department earned her MBA from Columbia Angela Frederick joins the of Religious Studies at Rhodes for six Business School.