Student Affairs Staff

JC Lopez

Interim Vice President of Student Affairs

JC Lopez is serving as the interim vice president for student affairs. He works with an incredible staff in the Division of Student Affairs that supports the growth and learning of students outside of the classroom. He is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Grinnell College community...
photo of Ashley Adams

Associate Director of Student Involvement

Ashley Adams is from Coon Rapids, Minnesota. She attended Minnesota State University, Mankato first earning her Bachelor of Science in History and a Minor in Political Science and then her Master of Science degree in Counseling Student Personnel: Student Affairs. In Ashley’s free time she enjoys...
Mark Baechtel

Lecturer and Director of Forensic Activities & Club Sports

Mark Baechtel grew up in New Carlisle in Southwest Ohio. It’s a small town, not far from the border with Indiana. He earned his B.A. in Communications (Print Journalism) at American University in Washington D.C. His M.F.A. is from the University of Iowa’s Writer’s Workshop, where he concentrated on...
Image of Megan Baldree

Assistant Dean of Student Success

Megan Baldree arrived at Grinnell in August of 2019 after spending 7 years in Abilene, TX. She worked at two universities in the areas of Title IX, First-Year Experience, Student Activities, and Orientation. She grew up in Texas and received her B.A. in Language and Linguistics from Baylor...
Charles Bermingham

Training Director

Charles (he/him) is a licensed counseling psychologist and health service provider and holds the positions of training director at SHAW and clinical associate professor in the counseling psychology PhD program at the University of Iowa. At SHAW he oversees a team of advanced level graduate students...
Photo of Kelly Brennan

Administrative Assistant II

Kelly Brennan grew up in Grinnell. She attended Marshalltown Community College. She previously worked at New Century FS and prior to that at the Poweshiek County Mental Center. Kelly enjoys spending time with family and reading. She loves to travel and her favorite places to visit have been Austria...
Photo of Shelley Cline

Staff Nurse

Shelley Cline is from Grinnell. She attended Central College in Pella, IA and went on to Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines where she earned her Associate's in Nursing. Shelley is currently a Registered Nurse and hopes to continue her education with a focus on psychology. Shelley moved...
photo of Teague Craig

Staff Counselor II

Teague Craig ’09 claims dual status as a Midwesterner and Californian. Teague grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and enjoyed living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area from 2011 to 2020. Teague received their M.A. in Education from Mills College in Oakland, California in 2014 and their M.A. in...
Photo of Tiffany Criswell

Staff Nurse II

Tiffany has 12+ years of nursing experience split between the Intensive Care Unit and Long Term & Skilled Care Nursing. She began work at Grinnell College in 2023 providing health care to students at SHAW. Her and her husband Jeff have 3 children, Hadley, Clayton, and Hudsyn. They live on a small...
Photo of Angela Denham

Administrative Assistant II

Angela Denham grew up in small town Gilman, Iowa. She attended Marshalltown Community College where she earned her AA in Business. Before making the switch to the College Angela could be found at UPH Grinnell Family Practice. When not working she is chasing four children around, from High School...
Karen Edwards, smiling at the viewer with a black background

Dean of International Student Affairs & Exchange Visitors

Karen is Grinnell’s Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) and Responsible Officer (RO). Her office is responsible for institutional compliance with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), and for teaching F-1 students and J Exchange Visitors about their rights and responsibilities. In...
photo of MJ Gibney

Assistant Director of Student Involvement

M.J. Gibney is from Des Moines, Iowa. She attended Simpson College earning her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Minor in Psychology. She then pursued her Master of Education degree in Student Affairs at Iowa State University. M.J. spends her free time with her family, cooking/baking...
Nancy Guinane

Program Coordinator

Nancy Guinane grew up in Iowa Falls, Iowa. She attended the Ellsworth Community College for her AA Degree then to the University of Northern Iowa for her BA in Marketing with a minor in Psychology. Nancy enjoys spending time with her three adult children, walking, pickleball, riding her bike on the...
phot of Em Heath

Residence Life Coordinator

Em Heath (she/they), the RLC for East (Rathje, Rose, Kershaw, Lazier) was raised in the Northeast Region of the U.S. She attended New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire and earned her BA in Psychology. After graduation, they then moved on to Merrimack College to receive a Master of Education...
Photo of Kasey Herbers

Director of Health Services

Kasey (she/her) is a Physician Assistant and the Director of Health at SHAW. She holds administrative responsibilities for Student Health Services including supervision of SHAW's medical staff. As a PA, she also provides patient care for students. She received her BS in Biology from Iowa State...
Terry Mason

Dean for Health and Wellness

Terry is the Dean for Health and Wellness. He obtained his B.A. from Cornell College with majors in Psychology and Biology. He received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with a minor in Business Management from Texas Tech University. Before assuming the position of Dean of Health and Wellness, Terry...
Derrick Moeller

Staff Counselor II

Derrick (he/they) strives to create an environment that invites all parts of a person into the therapy space. He recognizes how intersecting identities can shape and inform experiences, as such, utilizes different interventions based on the individuals needs. His main clinical areas of focus include...
Sarah Newell

Staff Nurse

Sarah Newell grew up in Newton, Iowa. Sarah attended Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. During nursing school, Sarah found her passion and drive to help those with mental health concerns. Sarah moved to Toronto, Ontario after finishing...
Ben Newhouse

Assoc. VP of Student Affairs & Dean of Students

Ben Newhouse is a proud Texan, having spent most of his life in the Lone Star State, growing up in the suburbs of Houston and then living in San Antonio for 17 years. Most recently, Ben lived in the ‘Ham (Birmingham, AL) for six years. Ben received a B.A. in Psychology from Trinity University in San...
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Associate Director of Residence Life & Student Conduct

Mfon (pronounced Mm-fon) holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and a masters degree in Guidance and Counseling. Her work experience spans a few decades and has been in HR, customer service and for the last couple of years in residence life. Mfon loves reading (across different genres)...
Image is of Dennis Perkins Jr.

Assistant Dean of Residence Life & Student Conduct

Dennis Perkins Jr. is from a small town called East Chicago, Indiana which is located 30 minutes East of Chicago, IL. He received his Master’s degree in Education Administration from Western Kentucky University and his Bachelor’s from Indiana University in English. Dennis is currently pursuing his...
Photo of Beth Perlman

Clinical Director

Beth (she/her) is the Clinical Director at SHAW. Beth holds administrative responsibilities in managing SHAW’s clinical operations. Additionally, she provides clinical support to students. Beth received her MA in Community Counseling from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and PhD in Counseling...
Emily Perry, smiling at the viewer with a black background

Assistant Director of International Student Programs

Emily works for Grinnell's Office of International Student Affairs (OISA). They serve as a Designated School Official (DSO), advise students, and support OISA programs, training, and community outreach. Among other responsibilities, Emily sits on the Academic Success Team, facilitates the Cultural...
Photo of Lesa Peters

Staff Nurse

Lesa Peters is a registered nurse new to Student Health and Wellness. Her previous 30+ years in nursing was split between Obstetrics and the Emergency Department. Lesa and her husband Rick live on a farm just outside of Grinnell where they grow the usual Iowa crops of corn, soybeans, hay and oats...
Michael Sims

Dean of Student Involvement

Michael Sims started working at Grinnell in July 1997, and has filled a variety of roles during his tenure. Michael earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and worked in higher education for over twenty-three years in a variety of roles. Aside from nine years of...
Maure Smith-Benanti

Asst. VP of Student Affairs & Dean of Inclusive Initiatives

(she, her, hers) Maure Smith-Benanti grew up in Provo, Utah and completed her official education at Utah State University. She is a life-long learner and educator. Maure says her favorite thing to do is to hang out with her little ones, Elliott and Zora, and her wife, Sarah. Maure says that “Elliott...
Photo of Alexis Steele

Manager of SHAW Operations

Alexis Steele (she/her) grew up in Grinnell, Iowa. While she loves Grinnell, Alexis decided she needed to leave the nest for college. She attended Furman University in South Carolina for two years and completed her degree at Central College in Pella, Iowa. Alexis earned her Bachelor of Arts in...
Brenda Strong, smiling at the viewer with a black background

Associate Director of International Student Compliance

Brenda's main areas of responsibility are working on compliance for the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA). She serves as a Designated School Official (DSO) and an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for SEVIS compliance, a federal web-based system for Student and Exchange Visitor...
Paul Valencic

Senior Staff Counselor

Paul Valencic grew up in Marion, Iowa, a city located just north of Cedar Rapids. Paul received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Iowa. He then earned his MA and EdS degrees in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Paul enjoys hanging out with his...

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