Sewanee News

Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer and presidential historian Jon Meacham, C’91, H’10, will return to the Mountain to deliver Sewanee’s 2026 baccalaureate address on Saturday, May 9. A nationally respected voice on American history, democracy, and civic life, Meacham plans to reflect on 250 years of the American story—offering timely insights for graduates and their families, alumni, and a broader public audience. The ceremony will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. Commencement Weekend will also feature a conversation between Meacham and veteran news anchor John Seigenthaler on Friday, May 8.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS) has announced that Associate Professor of German Liesl Allingham, Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition Sarah Rimkus, and Teaching Professor of Psychology Maria Falikman will serve as the next cohort of faculty fellows for mentored research, scholarship, and creative work.

A new study in the American Journal of Botany reveals that a native bamboo clone growing on the Sewanee Domain may be more than 1,700 years old—possibly the oldest living organism in Tennessee. Researchers from Sewanee and Furman University found that vast hill cane networks stretch across the Domain and nearby Franklin State Forest, surviving through slow underground growth. The findings highlight both the extraordinary longevity of these ancient plants and the importance of protecting the landscapes that sustain them.

The Babson Center for Global Commerce welcomes Chris Elwell, C‘95, partner and managing director at Timberland Investment Resources (TIR), as the Graham Executive in Residence. Elwell oversees investment analytics for TIR, an investment firm that manages timberland assets for clients with a focus on sustainable forestry. Additionally, Elwell manages a team of forest analysts and serves as TIR’s resident expert in carbon forestry and the monetization of forest-based carbon resources. Please join us for Elwell's talk, “Forests as Natural Climate Solutions: Tensions in the Paradigm,” at 4:30 p.m. CST on Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Torian Room in duPont Library.

The University of the South held its Easter Semester Convocation on Friday, Jan. 16, to induct new members into the Order of the Gown, celebrate the installation of Jennifer Cooley as the dean of the College, announce the recipients of awards and prizes, and feature remarks delivered by a University professor. This year, Professor and Chair of Politics Mila Dragojević, an internationally respected scholar of nationalism, ethnic politics, and political violence, was selected to give the convocation address.

The Appalachian College Association (ACA) has announced that Sewanee Professor and Co-Chair of the Biology Department Kristen Cecala has received the association’s John B. Stephenson Semester Fellowship to support her research activity during the 2026-2027 academic year. With the support of the fellowship, Cecala aims to design and develop a framework integrating participatory science, undergraduate engagement, and advanced population modeling to improve conservation outcomes for rare wildlife, while further building institutional and regional capacity.

Congratulations to the team of forestry students from Sewanee who won the Kentucky-Tennessee Society of American Foresters Quiz Bowl on Thursday! The victory brings the trophy back to Snowden Hall for the first time in 10 years, after the five-person team out-dueled much larger squads from the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky. The winning final answers, Gifford Pinchot and Carl Schenck, were a fitting nod to Sewanee and U.S. forestry history. It was Pinchot who convinced Vice-Chancellor Wiggins not to build the nation’s first forestry school at Sewanee, but rather to send our finely prepared students to the Biltmore School of Forestry, which became the nation’s first forestry school, led by Schenck. As Pinchot put it in a letter to Wiggins: with their liberal arts education, the Sewanee student will be much better prepared than nine-tenths of all other applicants to the Biltmore School of Forestry.

Photo, from left to right: Hadlee Hale, C’28, Max Grumbles, C’26, Everett Ackley C’27, Parker Roth, C’26, and Annie Murphy, C’28.

Sophomore politics and international and global studies major Camila Polanco, C’28, recently authored an article titled "Massacres Do Not Change People: How The Parsley Massacre is Remembered" for Clemson University's international affairs magazine, The Pendulum.

The University’s Easter Semester Convocation will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16. The ceremony will feature the installation of Jennifer Cooley as dean of the College. New members will be inducted into the Order of the Gown, and, in accordance with a tradition established by Vice-Chancellor Rob Pearigen, the teaching and scholarship of the faculty will also be recognized and honored with a convocation address delivered by a member of the University faculty.

This year’s remarks will be given by Professor and Chair of the Politics Department Mila Dragojević.

The University of the South is pleased to announce that Kylene J. Monaghan, C’26, has been named a 2026 Rhodes Scholar, becoming the University’s 28th recipient of the world’s oldest and most celebrated international postgraduate award. Monaghan, a physics and mathematics double major from Blacksburg, Virginia, was selected as one of 32 American Rhodes Scholars chosen from 238 finalists nationwide. The Rhodes Scholarship provides full funding for two to three years of graduate study at the University of Oxford in England, where Monaghan plans to pursue an M.Sc. by research in engineering science as well as an M.Sc. in quantum technologies.

Welcome to the Mountain, Coach Freitag! Sewanee has named Joe Freitag as its 33rd head football coach. After 11 standout years at Monmouth College (Illinois)—including multiple conference titles and NCAA postseason appearances—he’s bringing his leadership and vision to the Tigers.

In the three years since large language models went mainstream, the number of new authors publishing a high volume of letters to the editor in scientific journals has also surged. Associate Professor of Mathematics Matthew Rudd spoke to Inside Higher Ed about his new study—also covered in The New York Times and Science—examining prolific letter writers, the likely role of artificial intelligence in their rise, and what it means for the future of scientific discourse.

The Babson Center for Global Commerce welcomes Kathryn Ingram Thompson, C’96, as the Humphreys Entrepreneur in Residence. Thompson is the founding partner and chief executive officer of Thompson Research Group (TRG), an equity research and advisory firm focused on the industrial and construction value chain. With over 20 years of experience analyzing, modeling, and advising mutual funds, hedge funds, pension funds, private equity firms, and family offices, Thompson has become a respected leader in investment and portfolio management.

Thompson will lead an engaging discussion on entrepreneurship, integrity, and how a liberal arts foundation can inspire innovation and leadership in the business world at 4:30 p.m. CST on Tuesday, Nov. 18, in Naylor Auditorium in Gailor Hall. This event is presented in collaboration with the Department of Economics and Finance and Department of Philosophy. All are invited to attend.

During her Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) internship this summer, Daphne Nwobike, C’26, served as a case manager with Miriam’s Kitchen in Washington, D.C. While getting to know guests by offering one-on-one support, shadowing case managers, and hosting art sessions, she learned what it means to truly see everyone as deserving of compassion, dignity, and recognition.

In addition to its roster of student-led performances, Sewanee Theatre and Dance’s 2025-26 season includes an exciting new component: the first production in the Perspectives in Performance (PIP) series, Eleanor Burgess’ The Niceties. A collaborative effort between many University offices, the PIP series was created with the goal of bringing exciting and provocative artists to Sewanee whose work addresses community, belonging, dialogue across difference, and the variety of human experience.

On Monday, Nov. 3, Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing Elyzabeth Wilder traveled with playwriting majors Jacob Novem, C’26, and Sofia Tripoli, C’26, and theatre major Ivy Francis Moore, C’26, to Atlanta to tour three of the city's professional theaters. The trip included meetings with artistic directors, dramaturgs, directors, literary managers, and a professional playwright to learn more about building a career in the theatre.

Sewanee’s Department of Athletics announced today that Head Football Coach Andy McCollum has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately. A national search will begin immediately for the University of the South's 33rd head football coach, while Offensive Coordinator Tracy Malone will serve as interim head coach during the transition process.

Career Readiness + Student Success has announced the recipients of its Faculty Fellowship for Purpose and Career. The selected faculty are: Associate Professor of Economics Kartik Misra, Assistant Professor of Psychology Katy Morgan, and Assistant Professor of Anthropology Emily Sharp. Over the course of a two-year term, the fellows will partner with Career Readiness + Student Success as they provide leadership and create opportunities for engaging students in exploration of purpose and career.

What does it mean to become someone else? Professor of Theatre Jim Crawford explores the art of acting and reflects on how great performances help us to see the world through new eyes.

The fall issue of Sewanee magazine is available to read online! Follow the link below to learn how Frances Lumpkin Webster, C’95, has built a career on ideas that stick and networks that last. Also read about how Assistant Professor of Chemistry Alexandra Raeber is exploring cleaner ways to recycle carbon, and check out the bands and songs that Sewanee alumni say shaped their time on the Mountain.

The University of the South has announced that Jeff Zivan, C’93, will join Sewanee’s University Relations team on Dec. 1 as director of alumni engagement, succeeding Susan Askew, C’86, who will retire at the end of December after 17 years of exceptional service to Sewanee in that role. Zivan brings more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and business development, most recently in the healthcare sector.

Cynthia Abrams of WPLN, Nashville's local news and NPR station, visited Sewanee to explore how the University’s 20-mile Perimeter Trail has become a rite of passage for students—and a source of freedom, reflection, and connection to the Mountain.

The University of the South has received a Professional Development Award from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), a nationwide network of over 300 colleges and universities formed to support and enrich vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students. The award will enable a team of faculty members to work on expanding the University’s capacity for vocational exploration and reflection in both advising and the academic program.

From Friday, Oct. 10, to Sunday, Oct. 12, Sewanee will host the Southeastern Public Interest Environmental Law (SPIEL) Conference. An annual conference focused on the public interest environmental movement of the American Southeast, the event brings together environmental attorneys, scientists, grassroots environmental advocates, academics, and students for a weekend of discussions, presentations, workshops, and sharing ideas, skills, and research. Registration is free for all high school and college students and Sewanee faculty.

The Babson Center for Global Commerce is pleased to host Alex Harris, C’11, as a Bryan Viewpoints Speaker for the Advent semester. Harris is Vice President in the Private Credit – Americas Direct Lending group within Goldman Sachs Asset & Wealth Management, where he focuses on originating transactions in the middle and upper middle market. His work centers on corporate lending to multi-generational family and founder-owned businesses across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.

His presentation, titled "From Classroom to Capital: Building a Career in Private Credit and Alternatives Investments," will take place at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in the Torian Room in duPont Library. All are welcome to attend.

It was late on a summer evening in Nashville, and Brayden Petras, C’28, was nervous. He was set to give a presentation to executives from one of the country’s most prominent corporations the next morning—and he was going to tell them that they were wrong.

On Sept. 23, the U.S. News and World Report released its 2026 Best Colleges rankings. Sewanee ranked #45 among the nation’s top 201 liberal arts colleges. Sewanee also appears on the separate U.S. News lists of Best Value Schools (#70), Undergraduate Teaching - National Liberal Arts Colleges (#59), Economics (#216), and Undergraduate Psychology (#265).

Hosted by Career Readiness + Student Success and the Babson Center for Global Commerce on Thursday, Sept. 18, Smith Career Day gave Sewanee students a chance to interact with young alumni to learn more about the fields of banking, consulting, and finance. The day consisted of one-on-one conversations, panel discussions, and presentations that provided students from all majors with guidance on how to succeed in the recruiting and hiring process, as well as how to chart a path towards rewarding careers in those fields.

Undergraduate student Rowland Fournier, C’27, and alumnus Philip Gould, C’16, recently collaborated on a research project with scientists at the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) and Appalachian State University. For the project, which focused on the distribution of freshwater turtles in agricultural and rural landscapes of the southeastern United States, the research team surveyed 64 sites in the Mississippi embayment and evaluated how surrounding land use, road density, and habitat type affected species' occupancy.

For many workers, the commute from home to office is an obstacle they’d gladly trade in order to get back more time in their day. But for Eva Purdy, C’28, the commute to his internship this summer was one of the best parts. An intern at the Little St. Simon’s Island Center for Coastal Conservation, Purdy began each day with a 15-minute boat ride through serene marshland to reach his place of work—seven miles of undeveloped beach, where he worked to advance sea turtle conservation and research efforts.

Materials from Rebel’s Rest, one of Sewanee’s oldest buildings, will soon be up for auction. A 2014 fire left the 1866 cabin—once the University’s first post office, a guest house, and an early fraternity house—beyond restoration. Salvaged timbers, carefully studied and documented by Sewanee faculty and students, will be available to reimagine in new projects, from mantels and flooring to cabinets and furniture. Bidding opens Sept. 22 and runs through Oct. 30.

The Office of Civic Engagement is pleased to announce that four professors will serve as community engaged learning faculty fellows for 2025-2026. The fellows will each teach a community engaged learning course during the Advent term, and work on a special project to foster community engaged learning on campus throughout the year. The 2025-2026 fellows are: Molly Brookfield, Lisa Burner, Melody Lehn, and Teri Terigele.

Vice-Chancellor Rob Pearigen has announced the appointment of Burns Jones, C’95, as vice president of University Relations. Burns brings a wealth of executive, educational, and fundraising experience to Sewanee, and will join the senior leadership team of the University in the summer of 2026 after completing his 11th year as head of school at the Cathedral School for Boys in San Francisco, California. 

In a letter to the campus community on Sept. 18, Vice-Chancellor Rob Pearigen shared a statement approved by the Board of Regents titled “Heritage and Healing and Charting the Course Ahead.” In the statement, the board affirms its support for the work of the Names and Places Committee, and describes plans for continuing Sewanee’s ongoing efforts to engage thoughtfully and honestly with our past while advancing the values that define our present and future.

The University of the South held its Advent Semester Convocation on Friday, Sept. 12, to induct new members into the Order of the Gown and share the winners of student awards and prizes. This year, Professor Emeritus of Religion Gerald L. Smith was selected to give the convocation address and receive the Sewanee Medal, an honor awarded in recognition of rare and extraordinary service to the University of the South.

This August, first-year students had a new option for an early arrival program: Sewanee’s reimagined First Year Experience (FYE), which aims to provide students with a holistic experience that integrates curricular and co-curricular engagement into one cohesive program.

All divas are celebrities, but not all celebrities are divas. Assistant Professor of Politics and Women’s & Gender Studies Cecilia Cerja explores the extraordinary life of Josephine Baker. A dancer, wartime spy, and civil rights leader, Baker showed how a diva can make history by combining art and activism to influence culture and inspire change.

The University of the South has been recognized as a Top 10 Performer in the Food & Dining category of the 2025 Sustainable Campus Index. Sewanee earned its Top Performer status through the innovative leadership of Sewanee Dining.

At 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, in All Saints’ Chapel, the University will hold an Advent Convocation to induct new members into the Order of the Gown and announce the recipients of awards and prizes. The convocation will also feature remarks from Professor Emeritus of Religion Gerald Smith, who will be presented with the Sewanee Medal. Smith will also be signing copies of his latest book, Smokefall and Other Poems, at 3 p.m. in Convocation Hall.

In late August, Sewanee welcomed the Class of 2029 to the Mountain. After an unforgettable week of PRE, FYE, and Orientation activities, the next four years are officially underway. Click the link to check out photos from opening week.

Associate Professor of Art Jessica Wohl's solo exhibition, I Dreamed You Were Here, will be on display at the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from Aug. 28, 2025, to Feb. 22, 2027. From the exhibition program: "Using the language of quilting, Wohl will transform the mansion stairwell with layered textile banners sourced from found garments, linens, and discarded household items. This process of disassembling and reusing textiles is a tactile exchange with the item’s former owner, and the new forms that emerge are a collaboration with history. These pieces address the hidden potential of what lies beneath the surface of our day-to-day systems of care, labor, and relationships."

This summer, a group of Sewanee students traveled to Singapore and Vietnam as part of the Babson Center for Global Commerce’s Dynamics of Asian Business program, combining classroom research during the spring semester with site visits and in-person meetings with business leaders. Clay Upchurch, C’27, reflects on what the experience meant to him.

On the eve of new term, Vice-Chancellor Rob Pearigen reflects on the University's progress, accomplishments, and highlights from the 2024-25 academic year.

Come for the views and stay for the food! In the same month that The Princeton Review named the University’s 13,000-acre Domain the No. 1 Most Beautiful Campus in the country, Sewanee has also earned attention for its burgeoning food scene and been recognized as a premier small town vacation destination.