This page serves as a central source for information about President Phillips and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Journalists, media professionals, and external partners can find biographical information, official photography, key facts about the College, and other resources to support coverage and media inquiries.
President Rhonda Phillips
President Rhonda Phillips, Ph.D., FAICP Biography
President Phillips is a passionate advocate for the vital roles of honors learning; the liberal arts, sciences, fine arts, and athletics; and interdisciplinary teaching and research within academies of higher education. She is a dedicated advocate for the vital contribution of higher education to the personal growth and career development of her students—as well as the social, economic, and environmental progress of our communities. She seeks to exemplify those values within her own teaching, research, and academic leadership as President of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
President Rhonda Phillips earned her bachelor’s degree of geography and her master’s degree of economic development at the University of Southern Mississippi. She applied those degrees to her first professional positions with the City of Birmingham, Alabama, then at the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the International Development Research Council. She earned a M.S. Economics degree and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology—the first woman to earn that doctorate.
Dr. Phillips returned to the University of Southern Mississippi for her first academic professional position, as Director of the Community Planning Program in the Department of Geography and Economic Development. She gained further academic experience at Arizona State University, then as founding Dean of the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University as well as Professor of Agricultural Economics. As President of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Dr. Phillips helped stabilize the future of that historic institution.
During her academic career President Phillips was named a three-time Fulbright recipient including as a UK Ulster Policy Fellow in Northern Ireland; a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners; and a Fellow of the American Council on Education.
Scholarship & Thought Leadership
Newly Published: 3rd Edition of An Introduction to Community Development
Edited by Rhonda Phillips and Robert H. Pittman, An Introduction to Community Development offers comprehensive and practical approaches to enhance development processes and outcomes for communities. Now in its third edition, the book is based on the authors’ years of teaching, practice and research along with training they have provided for practicing community and economic development professionals, policymakers, community leaders and planners. This newly revised and updated edition also includes increased coverage of other important issues such as connectedness and placemaking, quality of life, community well-being, sustainability, marketing, and community enterprise.
The National Public Honors College
At St. Mary’s College of Maryland, honors is not a separate track available to a select group of students. Rather, the College is built around the belief that every student should have access to the kinds of high-impact experiences traditionally associated with honors education.
St. Mary’s College is a model for how public institutions can combine academic rigor, close faculty mentorship, experiential learning, and student access in a way that prepares graduates to lead meaningful and impactful lives.
Academic Excellence
Public Honors College for all
St. Mary’s College of Maryland is officially designated as Maryland’s Public Honors College, the first standalone public honors college in the nation. The state General Assembly designated the school Maryland’s public honors college in 1992; the state also granted the College an institutional status designed to assure stable public funding.
Honors College Promise
St. Mary’s College promises that every student has the opportunity to engage in a research, internship, or international experience. Combine that with the rest of your St. Mary’s College experience and you’ll be well on your way to a rewarding career.
LEAD
Learning Through Experiential and Applied Discovery( LEAD) is St. Mary’s College’s signature 21st century initiative that integrates credit bearing professional career development and the Honors College Promise with the innovative teaching and excellence of our academic programs. LEAD is an all-encompassing, integrative pathway that prepares students for whatever their next step is — research, graduate school, or the workforce.
St. Mary’s Projects
St. Mary’s Projects– or SMPs– are independent, 8-credit projects, mentored by a faculty member and like any capstone, presented in a public forum. Many St. Mary’s students find the SMP to be one of the most rewarding experiences of their college career. Students who take on an SMP define the focus and scope of their projects, often conducting research on topics and questions that have emerged from their past coursework. SMPs may be a traditional research project or the culmination of creative work at the College: students have used their SMPs to draft novels, create art installations, and prepare for recitals.
Academics by the numbers
- 69 Academic programs
- 127 full-time faculty
- 10:1 Student-to-faculty ratio
- 95% Faculty holding the highest attainable degree in their field
- 350+ Alumni mentors support student success
- 90% Graduates employed, in school, volunteering, or in the military six months after graduating (Class of 2024).
The St. Mary's Way
As a member of St. Mary's College of Maryland, I accept the St. Mary's Way and agree to join in working with others to develop this College as a community:
- Where people respect the natural environment and the tradition of tolerance which is the heritage of this place
- Where people cultivate a life-long quest for disciplined learning and creativity
- Where people take individual responsibility for their work and actions
- Where people foster relationships based upon mutual respect, honesty, integrity and trust
- Where people are engaged in an ongoing dialogue that values differences and the unique contributions of others' talents, backgrounds, customs and world views
- Where people are committed to examining and shaping the functional, ethical values of our changing world
- Where people contribute to a spirit of caring and an ethic of service.
The Mulberry Tree Magazine
The Mulberry Tree magazine is published by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the National Public Honors College. It is produced for alumni, faculty, staff, board members, the local community and friends of the College.
Media Assets
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