Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies
In RIRS, students develop an individual research practicum that engages with history, culture, or inequity in the South. Fellows work primarily with a faculty mentor to develop their research and Memphis connections. Mentors include program director Dr. Charles McKinney, as well as other professors in Urban Studies-related disciplines.
Because it has such a local emphasis, fellows gain a deeper appreciation for Memphis and the positive work being done to build vibrant communities in the city. “Despite being a native Memphian, the Rhodes Institute gave me such a diverse view of Memphis,” said 2018 fellow Marcus Tate. “It made me fall in love with Memphis by the end of the fellowship.”
This year, fellow Christal Scott researched the Optional Program in Shelby County schools, and its negative impact on black and Latinx students. “I was able to get smarter about the things that interested me most, and network with leadership who actually work with the optional program everyday,” she said.
Working individually with an expert mentor, as well as receiving a $3,000 stipend, help undergraduate students simulate the rigors and independence of graduate-level study.
Summer Success Fellowship
The Summer Success Research Fellowship applies research in child psychology to the classroom, seeking to understand how developmental issues relate to socio-economic status. This year, fellows worked with children from low-income backgrounds at Porter Leath Head Start. Working under Dr. Kiren Khan, they implemented strategies to help those children develop the practical and socio-emotional skills they would need to succeed in kindergarten.
“The curriculum is intended to be comprehensive in its scope, targeting skills that are necessary for a successful transition to kindergarten such as foundational language, literacy, math, gross-motor and fine-motor skills as well as socio-emotional skills such as turn taking, regulating behavior, and cooperating with others,” said Dr. Khan.
Fellow Brealan Muniz worked as a classroom teacher’s assistant, and gained valuable hands-on experience. “It became clear to me early on in the program that play-based learning was essential in helping these children succeed,” she said.
Said fellow Shavonne Bragg: "This fellowship aligned perfectly with what I plan to do post-graduation, giving me real life experience that I can use to enhance my future experiences in the education field."
Pictured: Elise Moix conducting chemistry research.
Synthesis, Design and Evaluation of Drug-like Molecules
This fellowship is an opportunity for highly-motivated Chemistry students to gain professional research experience. This year, fellows working under Dr. Mauricio Cafiero conducted computational chemistry research on Parkinson’s disease.
Fellows appreciate how their individual research combines to form a collaborative product. “The lab supported us as individuals since we all have our own independent work but all of our data really comes together to support certain drug candidates,” said fellow Abby Polzin.
Students believe that this collaborative effort, including weekly opportunities to reflect on their work in a group setting, make this particular research opportunity stand out from the rest. Another highlight of this year’s program was the opportunity to present at a computational chemistry conference, developing critical presentation skills and potential connections post-graduation.
Summer Service Fellowship
In the Summer Service Fellowship, students work full-time at a non-profit company of their choice. Headed by Career Services director Sandi-George Tracy, the program is specially designed to help students out of the ‘Rhodes bubble’ and integrate them fully into the city of Memphis.
This integration is so effective that many fellows from out-of-state, including William McLain, have decided to live and work in Memphis after graduation. This year, McLain worked with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, as well as the Memphis chapter of Black Lives Matter. “I learned about the importance of a reliable bus system, the inequalities that the money bail system perpetuates, [and] how nonprofits should be organized,” he said. “By doing practicum, I learned more than I ever could in a classroom.”
Many students choose Summer Service for the chance to work full-time in what might otherwise be an unpaid internship. Rhodes’ contribution levels the playing field by providing this kind of internship opportunity to all students, regardless of economic background.
Pictured: Education faculty and students with scholar-in-residence Dr. Kevin Kumashiro.
Urban Education Summer Institute
The Urban Education Institute applies a deep knowledge of structural inequities to useful strategies in a classroom environment. Working with Dr. Natalie Person, fellows combine their theoretical knowledge of effective instructional methods with hands-on experience as they conduct individual research for their projects, all focused on rampant inequities in inner-city education.
In the program’s inaugural year, fellows got the chance to engage with the 2018 Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Kevin Kumashiro. Students’ experiences were richened with Kumashiro’s expertise on educational policy and school reform.
“It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot about non-profits, literacy initiatives, and narratives,” said fellow Katherine Bryant. “It widens the perspective and emphasizes a critical lens for the impact and construction of urban education.”
Pictured: Madi Griffin, presenting research at the Bioinformatics and Health Informatics conference in Washington, D.C.
Bioinformatics
Working under Dr. Catherine Welsh, Bioinformatics fellows are able to apply their classroom knowledge of coding to biological research. Fellows enjoy the unique specialized instruction, leading many of them to become interested in careers in bioinformatics after graduation.
“As a new computer science major with only a year of programming experience, I learned quite a bit about programming and its importance in the world of cancer and disease research,” said Madi Griffin.
This year, fellows traveled to Washington D.C. to present their research at a Bioinformatics and Health Informatics conference.
Rhodes Neuroscience Summer Research
The Neuroscience Summer Research fellowship provides practical application of classroom study for students. This year, fellows conducted research on the neural circuitry network and how it affected behavior in larger vertebrate organisms.
Dr. Jason Haberman helped his summer fellows gain substantial lab experience in a highly specialized field. “The summer here at Rhodes provides students with a rare opportunity to focus on a singular project without the distraction of coursework or other extracurricular activities,” he said. “I strive to create a graduate student level of experience by granting students intellectual independence and the opportunity to design new experiments and write drafts of manuscripts for publication.”
The fellowship developed a long-term curiosity and fascination with Neuroscience for 2018 fellow Catherine Owen. She said this of the program: “I had the opportunity to put knowledge learned in the classroom into real experimental practice and application into the world.”