Rhodes College Psychology Department

As excitement grows for our 2024 Commencement this weekend, we are delighted to celebrate Asya Bray's selection for the Rhodes Hall of Fame!

https://news.rhodes.edu/stories/class-2024-members-added-rhodes-hall-fame

The great news about Rhodes psychology students keeps rolling in: Eraine Leland ('21) was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Her research examines dual language learners and code switching, which was "jump-started" by her experiences in Dr. Kiren Khan's Language and Literacy lab at Rhodes.

Three From Rhodes Selected for National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program | Rhodes News Rhodes College alums Kelsey Rena Glasper ’21, Eraine Leland ’21, and Scotty Wicker ’22 have been selected to receive the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) following a national competition.

Congratulations to Julia Blackmon! Julia is a senior psychology major and was recently awarded a Watson Fellowship for her project titled "Rock and Roll’s Influence on Cultural Identity" which will take her to Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina.

Rhodes College Senior Julia Blackmon Awarded Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to Travel the World | Rhodes News Julia Blackmon, a Rhodes College senior from Austin, TX, has been selected to receive the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provides a one year $40,000 grant for purposeful, independent exploration outside the United States.

Exciting news!

A $2 million gift from the estate of Dr. Frances Elaine Donelson ’59 will endow a new chair and fellowship program in the Department of Psychology.

Read more: https://rhodesedge.org/3GGphtE

Psychology students had a busy spring and summer presenting their research at numerous conferences. Read some of the highlights:

Psychology Students Present Faculty-Mentored Research at National Conferences | Rhodes News The Department of Psychology at Rhodes has a long history of involving students in faculty-mentored research, including more than 50 students/year on research teams.

Congratulations to a truly inspirational leader, Professor Elizabeth Thomas!

Professor Elizabeth Thomas Presented 2021 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service | Rhodes News Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, professor of psychology and Plough Chair of Urban Studies at Rhodes College, was presented the 2021 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service at the college’s Opening Convocation held Oct. 21 in Fisher Memorial Garden. Opening Convocation was postponed until afte...

Although “congratulations” are customary, instead we offer Dr. Marsha Walton a humble “thank you”. This remarkable researcher and mentor inspires her students and colleagues every day.

2021 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award Winner Prof. Marsha Walton Leaves a Meaningful Legacy of Scholarship and Mentoring | Rhodes News In her 41 years at Rhodes College, retiring Professor of Psychology Dr. Marsha Walton has successfully merged outstanding scholarly achievements with a dedication to mentoring students, helping them to open their eyes to opportunities and navigate new experiences. She was honored as the non-student....

What a great lineup, which includes two of Psychology’s newest faculty!

Five Rhodes Professors to Center Equity in Weeklong Takeover of The Academic Minute | Rhodes News Professors Hotz, Loynes, Stoddard, Goodman, and Marchand will present talks on the theme of equity for The Academic Minute program.

Check out this recent Rhodes article highlighting the impact of Dr. Kiren Khan's Summer Success Kindergarten Readiness Program. As noted in the article, "The Summer Success program is designed to develop a comprehensive set of critical skills, including core academic skills in narrative, literacy, and math, as well as socio-emotional skills, motor skills, and interest in creative arts."

Prof. Kiren Khan and Her Research Team Examine Impact of Summer Success Kindergarten Readiness Program | Rhodes News Dr. Kiren Khan, assistant professor of psychology, has been supervising a team of Rhodes students on research related to the Summer Success kindergarten readiness program she co-developed with researchers at The Ohio State University and implemented in Memphis across the previous two summers. Four p...

Congratulations to Dr. Dan Blustein (principal investigator), Dr. Katie White (co-principal investigator), and Dr. Betsy Sanders (co-principal investigator; Computer Science)! Their NSF Major Research Infrastructure grant titled "MRI: Acquisition of a Movement Tracking System to Explore Embodiment and Cognition" has been awarded. The grant will support the acquisition of a "motion capture system capable of precisely tracking human body movements while simultaneously recording brain activity and eye movements. The equipment will provide detailed insight into the nervous system's role in planning and generating movements, as well as how the human mind perceives its own body."

Rhodes College Researchers Receive National Science Foundation Grant for Cutting-Edge Motor and Perception Research | Rhodes News The researchers have been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation grant of $267,970 to study brain activity involved in body movement using 3D motion capture technology. “This equipment is going to put Rhodes College on the map as a serious contributor in the movement science research sp...