MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Rhodes College’s newest president took the helm Friday for the school.
Dr. Jennifer M. Collins is the 21st president of the college, taking over for Carroll Stevens J.D., who has been serving as interim president since July 1, 2021, after the departure of Dr. Marjorie Hass.
“I am truly honored to be joining the incredible community at Rhodes College today,” said President Collins in a news release. “I am very much looking forward to partnering with our wonderful faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners in the great city of Memphis to enhance the outstanding educational experience we provide and champion our commitments to service and inclusive excellence.”
“The Board of Trustees is delighted and indeed fortunate to be welcoming President Collins,” said Board of Trustees Chair Deborah Craddock. “We look forward to her leadership and to working with her as we develop and implement our strategic plan preparing Rhodes for the next decade.”
“The Rhodes community is excited to welcome President Collins as she takes up the mantle of the 21st presidency of the college. I look forward to seeing the amazing things she will do in the coming year to move us past the pandemic era and to help us become an even stronger college community,” said Rhodes Student Government President David Caddle ’23.
Since 2014, Collins served as the dean of Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. Before that, she served as vice provost and professor of law at Wake Forest University for 10 years. She has also previously worked in a private practice in Washington, D.C., and as an attorney-adviser in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. She was Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia from 1994-2002.
Collins earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University and a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard University, where she also served as an editor for the Harvard Law Review.
Rhodes College has more than 2,000 students representing 45 states, plus D.C., and 63 countries.
