After Gerald Rhodes ’74, H ’18 received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Geneseo, he entered the doctoral program in chemistry at Indiana University. While meeting his new classmates at a mixer for students in the program before the academic year started, Rhodes wondered if he could keep pace with people who had attended large, top-flight universities from across the country. He soon realized he belonged there just as much as anyone else.
“What I found by the end of the first year, to my satisfaction and delight, was that Geneseo had really prepared me well and that I stacked up very favorably with my fellow classmates in grad school,” Rhodes recalls. “It just highlighted to me what a high-quality, high-value education you can receive at SUNY Geneseo.”
For more than 30 years, Rhodes worked in pharmaceutical research and was instrumental in the discovery and development of antiviral drugs used to cure hepatitis C infection (HCV) and to treat and chronically manage patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). He also contributed to discovering and developing drugs that treat respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, Rhodes authored or coauthored more than 180 peer-reviewed scientific journal publications and presentations at major scientific meetings. He enthusiastically credits his student experience at Geneseo for his success.
“It’s where I found my passion for science, and that passion led me from Geneseo to graduate school to a career in the pharmaceutical industry,” says Rhodes, who received an honorary degree in 2018. “What I learned there and the passion I developed there gave me a lifelong motivation to keep learning. I trace all that back to the motivation I received from the dedicated faculty at Geneseo.”
Those experiences motivate Rhodes to support his alma mater financially and, when possible, to volunteer his time and organizational skills, such as when he served as a Campaign Steering Committee member.
“I think I have a debt to Geneseo, and I’m just trying to give back and to repay the college for what it offered me,” said Rhodes. “I feel like I should give back and support the college, and I especially want to support the young scientists that are there now, working with faculty and staff to develop their own skills, motivation, and ultimately, their careers.”
