THE MAGAZINE OF RHODES COLLEGE FALL 2013 A Galaxy Renovated science facilities of Potential promise to attract the best and brightest. THE FUTURE UNFOLDS Plans for the renovation of Rhodes Tower include new labs, classrooms, offi ces, and physical plant improvements. An architect’s cutaway illustrates the range of potential uses for the six-story, 21,660-foot space. FALL 2013 VOLUME 20 • NUMBER 3 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 2013— Volume 20, Number 3 EDITOR Lynn Conlee GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Larry Ahokas Robert Shatzer PRODUCTION EDITORS Jana Files ’78 Carson Irwin ’08 Charlie Kenny Ken Woodmansee CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Albright ’16 Richard J. Alley Justin Fox Burks Julia Fawal ’15 8 Jim Kiihnl Michelle Parks A Message from the President Jill Johnson Piper ’80 P’17 4 Elisha Vego EDITOR EMERITUS 6 Campus News Martha Shepard ’66 Briefs on campus happenings INFORMATION 901-843-3000 30 Student Spotlight ALUMNI OFFICE 1 (800) 264-LYNX Faculty Focus ADMISSION OFFICE 34 1 (800) 844-LYNX Rhodes Tower Alumni News Photo illustration by Larry Ahokas 36 Photo by Jim Kiihnl Class Notes, In Memoriam The 2012-2013 Honor Roll of Donors 2 FALL 2013 • RHODES rhodes.edu 75 16 8 Situating Beloved Texts : 16 By Design: A Trip to Berlin Impacts Search Faculty Full Renovation to Enhancing the liberal arts experience—this time for Transform Rhodes Tower professors! With its quirky architectural history and planned renovation, 75 Rhodes and Beyond Rhodes Tower tells the tale Tucked between Alumni News and the Honor Roll lies of two centuries in science a special story about a growing college treasure. education. rhodes.edu FALL 2013 • RHODES 3 A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT T he Campaign for Rhodes elcoming our very talented Class of 2017 this students—updated and expanded science facilities. fall provided a most meaningful reminder of As you read in this issue the storied history of Whow much the Campaign for Rhodes matters the Peyton Nalle Rhodes Tower, many of you will be to our students and our college. Increasingly, our stu- reminded of the opening of the Frazier Jelke Science dents arrive on campus from all across our country and Center in 1968. So very much has changed since then. all around the globe. Rhodes is affordable to many of Our track record of student success in the sci- these students because of the scholarships provided by ences and our partnership with truly world-class institu- alumni, parents, and friends of the college. Newly fund- tions such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has ed opportunities for research, internships, and service created unprecedented student interest in the sciences. proved to be the deciding factor for many of them to More than 40 percent of the Class of 2017 intends to attend Rhodes. Funds donated for faculty support and major in the natural sciences. new faculty positions help ensure that students learning With all we have to offer, our science facilities experiences will be exceptional. simply have not kept pace. Since Frazier Jelke Science So many of you have given and continue to give Center was built, student enrollment in the sciences has generously to help us achieve our goals to provide the tripled. We are now ranked in the top 10 of liberal arts best possible support for students and faculty. Thanks colleges nationally for graduates in the natural sciences. to you, much has been accomplished to enhance the We are very proud of the great work of our faculty and student experience and make our great college even students, but they must have the facilities they need to better. But our work is not yet done. We extended our continue this momentum. Campaign for Rhodes and expanded our goal to $303.5 While student interest has increased dramatically, million for student and faculty support. We added a changes in how science is taught are even more signifi- component essential for the continued success of our cant. Science today has become more interdisciplinary. 4 FALL 2013 • RHODES rhodes.edu Peyton Nalle Rhodes Tower, dedicated to the study of physics Historically, all science majors at Rhodes graduated in would be so proud of the testimonials we receive from either biology, chemistry, or physics. While these ma- our Memphis partners about how our students excel. jors remain prominent in our science curriculum, new The integration of the sciences, humanities, and social interdisciplinary science majors, including biochemistry sciences—and their interconnectivity—makes the and molecular biology, neuroscience, environmental sci- sciences unique at Rhodes. ences, and environmental studies, are among some of The continued support of our entire college com- our fastest-growing majors. munity is critical as we aim to raise $42 million to reno- Lab work has also become more project oriented, vate and expand our science facilities. With the recently experimental, and interdisciplinary. Instead of the tra- announced $4.4 million Plough Foundation grant, we ditional “lab partner” approach, our students engage in have received about $10 million in philanthropic com- more collaborative group work with other students and mitments toward this goal. We ask you to join us in as research assistants with faculty members. Many of achieving our goals for the sciences and our overall cam- our students present their research at national confer- paign. Each of us benefi ts when bright young minds ences and are listed as co-authors on articles alongside take what they have learned and experienced at Rhodes our accomplished faculty. To maintain this new focus and begin to impact the world. With your help, I am on collaboration, our facilities must support new ap- confi dent we will soon have the science facilities that best proaches to teaching and learning. support the students and faculty at Rhodes. Please do all We are committed to giving every student the you can to help us with this important initiative. best education possible in the classroom and the best chance to grow and develop both on our campus and beyond our gates through truly exceptional opportuni- ties. We do that particularly well in the sciences. You Contact Vice President of Development Jenna Goodloe Wade at 901-843-3850 or [email protected] for more information. rhodes.edu FALL 2013 • RHODES 5 CAMPUS NEWS Plough Foundation Awards $4.4 Million Grant By Lynn Conlee New Student Programs Hope to Enhance College In late August, a celebration took place in the Experience renovated lobby of Frazier Jelke Science Center. By Julia Fawal ’14 Students, faculty, staff, and special guests arrived to honor the Plough Foundation for its To support fi rst-year students and sophomores in their college $4.4 million grant to help fund renovations to journeys, two new programs hit Rhodes College campus this year. Rhodes’ science facilities. The grant was the Known as Fob into Five and S’MORES, the programs work differently, second-highest one ever given by the foundation. but both are aimed at capitalizing on what the college already offers and adding to the student’s college experience. Phase 1 is the renovation of Rhodes Tower. In May 2014, the Department of Physics will move Fob into Five emerged after a group that included student to temporary quarters on Rhodes’ extended affairs staff leaders and students Brooke Bierdz ’15 and Rhodes Stu- campus in the former Evergreen Presbyterian dent Government President Sallie Handley ’14 came together to brain- Church facilities. The renovation is expected to storm ways to improve the fi rst-year experience. The group realized take 15 months and to be completed in time for that Rhodes offers a variety of programs and events, so they wanted the 2015 academic year. Once the work is done, to fi nd a way to bring them all together into a fi rst-year program. the tower will be transformed. (For more on the Rhodes Tower renovation, see page 16.) Fob into Five encourages fi rst-year students to swipe their key fobs at a series of 45 social and educational events throughout the Plans for Phase 2 are still very much in the semester. For every fi ve events they “fob” into, their name gets works, but will result in a new three-story thrown into a raffl e for prizes ranging from Rhodes apparel to a $300 science facility in the parking lot currently west travel voucher. But what is getting most of the students talking (and of Briggs Student Center. Briggs itself will be fobbing) is one of the bigger prizes: a ticket to see Justin Timberlake repurposed as academic space. All the science when he graces the FedEx Forum stage in November. buildings will be connected underground so that movement from one facility to another can be S’MORES is a similar program for sophomores, though it is geared done without concerns about inclement weather. more toward helping them learn about themselves and prepare for These renovations follow the Rhodes master their futures beyond Rhodes. The initiative combines activities plan, which features an academic campus core ranging from “Managing Personal Relationships” to career-oriented encircled by residence halls. programming such as “Creating Your Individual Professional Brand.” S’MORES also offers a prize incentive for attending events. But for both programs, the biggest prize of all is developing a real connec- tion to Rhodes and everything the community has to offer. 6 FALL 2013 • RHODES rhodes.edu Virtual Chapters Link Alumni By Julia Fawal ’14 Relying on the convenience of technology, Rhodes Alumni end. To get involved or for more information, contact Relations created two virtual chapters this summer that now unite Patterson at [email protected].