DSA Awards

On this page:

Award for Excellence
John Pfitsch Endowed Memorial Prize
Grand Grinnellian Prize

Award for Excellence in Service to Students and Student Affairs

DSA staff with the award winners who are holding their awards — The 2025 DSA Award winners (back row, l to r): Parikshit Roychowdhury, Evan Larson, Sophie Delaney, Mary Perkins, Bailey Asberry, and DSA Vice President JC Lopez; (front row, l to r): DSA Assistant Vice President Maure Smith-Benanti, Chikako Inoue, Terry Mason, and Essi Adokou.

The Department of Student Affairs presents this award annually to students and staff or faculty who have demonstrated excellence in their thoughtful, energetic, innovative, joyful, educational and supportive service to both students of Grinnell College and of DSA, its mission, programs, and staff.

Award for Excellence Winners by Year
2025	Essi Adokou ’25	Sophie Delaney ’25	Bailey Asberry	Mary Perkins
2024	Alyson Won ’24	Jaci Hardeman	Jae Baldridge
2023	Sarah Toay ’23	Kate Evering ’12	Julie Blichertz ’07
2022	Momiji Fukushima ’22	Sarah Beisner ’22	Maya Larson ’22	Rachel Bly ’93
2021	Vidush Goswami ’21	Brad Lindberg	Lakesia Johnson	Caleb Elfenbein	Mark Levandoski
2019	Josh Thibaltawa ‘19	Tulah Fuchs ‘19	Tim Arner
2018	Hannah Boegess ‘18	Shaina Benjamin
2017	Maggie Bell ‘17	Paul Hutchison
2016	Tyler Anderson ‘16	Andrea Tracy ‘99
2015	Iulia Iordache '15	Henry Rietz
2014	Max Herzberg '14	Remy Ferber '14	Cheryl Chase
2013	Sara Kay '13	Erin Hurley
2012	Kristen Armbruster '12	Judy Hunter
2011	P.J. Mahaffey '11	Jennifer Jacobsen '95
2010	Alyssa Penner '10	Karen Cochran

John Pfitsch Endowed Memorial Prize

A smiling young man holds an award, standing alongside another man — Evan Larson (left) with men’s head soccer coach, Brian Jaworski.

This fund was established in 2013 with gifts made in memory of John Pfitsch. The Pfitsch Prize will be awarded each year to a student who embodies the hallmarks of John Pfitsch’s character. This is an endowed fund to recognize those individuals who best emulate John Pfitsch and his dedication and commitment to Grinnell College for over 50 years. The late John Pfitsch, whose name has been synonymous with Grinnell athletics since 1948, takes length-of-service honors hands-down. Brought to Grinnell primarily as a basketball mentor, Pfitsch coached or substituted in virtually every sport during a 47-year career. Even after retirement, he directed the men's soccer program.

The successful student will be a junior and embody the following:

leadership
a passion for Grinnell College
diverse and varied interests — embodiment of a lifelong learner
caring and compassion for fellow human beings
integrity — a person of his/her/their “word”

Pfitsch Prize Winnrs by Year
2025	Evan Larson
2024	Utsah Kalra
2023	Nina Takashima
2022	Austin Mazlish
2021	Francesca Dalla Betta
2020	COVID -No one
2019	Ben Cobin
2018	Juliet Torres
2017	Nathaniel Zaroban
2016	Cassidy Peterson
2015	Sophie Neems

Grand Grinnellian Prize

The Grand Grinnellian prize is awarded biannually to up to three staff members who have recently demonstrated their commitment and dedication to the College by consistently performing their normal duties in an excellent manner, representing the core values and mission of the institution and our T.H.R.I.V.E. principles.

Grinnell College staff, faculty, and students can nominate any staff member in good standing who they think best fulfills the criteria. (Self nominations are not allowed.) The Staff Council reviews, scores, and deliberates to come to a consensus decision with announcements made at the fall and spring staff luncheons.

Learn more about Grand Grinnellians on GrinnellShare.

DSA Recipients of Grand Grinnellian Prize
Fall 2025	Maggie Bell ’17
Fall 2023	Rabbi Sarah-Brammer Shlay
Spring 2022	Brenda Strong