The Wilson Center’s annual Pioneer Weekend pitch competition took place from Friday, September 26, to Sunday, September 28. The objective of Pioneer Weekend is to bring together student innovators to develop and pitch a business or nonprofit plan. It encourages hands-on experiences and helps develop skills critical to entrepreneurship. The top three teams also receive cash prizes.

Grinnell College will celebrate the dedication of Hannah Alumni House with a ribbon cutting and community open house on Thursday, November 6. The event, themed “A Place to Return, A Place to Belong,” invites alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community members to come together in celebration of this beloved space.

MJ Ketcha recently started medical school and reflects on the experiences that got him there.

A deep love for their alma mater, a belief in the importance of philanthropy, and a desire to ensure student wellness all motivated Scott ’82 and Laura Cleveland Shepherd ’82 to make a generous gift of $1 million to support student health and wellness services at Grinnell College.

Professor Craig Quintero’s “Blur” is a new extended reality (XR) theatrical experience that combines live performance, motion capture, immersive technologies, and interactive storytelling, integrating the physical and the virtual in a seamless mixed-reality format.

Grinnell has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) program [ITE-2519806]. This competitive program supports colleges and universities in building capacity to engage with external partners and contribute to the U.S. innovation economy by working in cohorts to address similar challenges and opportunities.

Perez, professor of Spanish, has been selected as a new artist in the Iowa Artist Career Accelerator Program for 2026. In addition, Perez received a grant award of $2,500 which she will use to research and develop a new series of large-scale mixed media textile sculptures inspired by pioneering women sculptors whose practices embody resilience, identity, and material innovation.

When Tristan Davis ’25 first visited Grinnell College, it was the small classes and close faculty relationships that drew him in. But what he found in his four years as a student extended well beyond the classroom: a deep connection to the community, an opportunity to engage in meaningful local work, and, ultimately, the inspiration to pursue a graduate degree abroad in the growing field of environmental humanities. 

This summer, Grinnell students explored the Four Corners region through three programs: a Grand Canyon outdoor recreation trip, a Colorado social justice institute and internship, and a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) traveling to a Wyoming archaeological excavation.