Sarah Barks
Assistant Dean & Director of Analytics & Operations
Sarah (they/them) is the CLS’s Assistant Dean & Director of Analytics and Operations. Sarah manages analytics activities (such as tracking graduate outcomes and student engagement with CLS advising and programming), oversees our technology platforms, and streamlines operational processes wherever possible.
Sarah is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (BA in anthropology and philosophy–neuroscience–psychology) and Emory University (PhD in biological anthropology) and, prior to coming to Grinnell, was a post-doctoral scientist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Sarah’s research focused on great ape social cognition and neuroanatomy.
When not wrangling spreadsheets, Sarah spoils their pets, reads and bakes a lot, climbs, and does too many crossword puzzles. They joined the CLS team in September 2014.
Chad Berman
Lawrence S. Pidgeon Director, Education Professions Career Community
Chad (he/him) leads the Education Professions Career Community (EdPros+) at Grinnell. He serves as the principal resource for students and alumni considering and planning careers in education and related professions that center the value of human potential, learning, and development. Such careers include teaching (PK–16+); school administration; educational research; education policy; mental health and school counseling; school psychology; social work; adult education; training and development; and the professional practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). He counsels and advises students and alumni about securing related experiential learning opportunities, preparing for and navigating the graduate school application process, preparing for and managing a job search campaign, identifying pathways to licensure (traditional and alternative), and identifying relevant gap-year experiences. Chad believes these career paths are among the most rewarding and fulfilling in existence and is intensely passionate about supporting and encouraging students who are interested in pursuing them.
Hailing all the way from southern New Jersey, the land of Wawa, pork roll, and full-service gas stations, Chad received his B.A. in English and his M.A. in school counseling with a certification in substance abuse counseling from The College of New Jersey. From 2018–2022, Chad served as a student assistance counselor at Hillsborough High School in Hillsborough, NJ, providing counseling for students coping with mental health and academic issues.
In his free time, Chad enjoys being eternally disappointed by his beloved four Philly sports teams (Eagles, Sixers, Phillies, and Flyers), consuming every single piece of Beatles content in existence, enjoying flannel weather with some good nosh, and annoying his partner with endless, meshuganah Lord of the Rings trivia.
Robin Bourjaily
Assistant Director, Exploratory Career Community
Robin (she/her) connects with students curious about their career journeys as an assistant director for the exploratory career community.
Born southwest of Iowa City, Robin attended Georgetown University (B.A., English and Fine Arts) and the University of Iowa (M.A., Creative Nonfiction). She spent the first chapter of her career as a professor of English, teaching a variety of writing, literature, and journalism courses, first at Suffolk County Community College on Long Island, where she was an associate professor, before moving on to American University in Washington, DC, and Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. During the following chapter, Robin founded a freelance editing business that allowed her to work and stay home with her children (who grew up to become members of the Grinnell classes of 2020 and 2024). When her family moved to Des Moines, Robin’s love of yoga turned into a different kind of teaching career and her entrepreneurial spirit led her to launch her yoga studio, Radiant Om Yoga. Another chapter saw Robin’s side hustles turn into Poses & Prose, and Robin augmented that work with a return to academic pursuits; she joined the student services staff at Des Moines Area Community College as an academic advisor. All of these adventures have brought her to Grinnell College, where she joined the CLS in 2021.
Outside of work, Robin is a creative writer, avid baker, and joyful yogini who marvels at nature, loves to read, and never turns down a good cup of tea.
Gracie Brandsgard
Director, Government, Law & Policy Career Community
Gracie (she/her) leads the Government, Law, and Policy Career Community at Grinnell. She provides students and early career alumni with advice and assistance, including industry-focused employment and learning opportunities in the areas of government, law, and policy. She also advises students and graduates interested in attending law school or pursuing a policy-related graduate degree.
An Iowa native and Grinnell graduate, Gracie spent her first decade after college in a number of advocacy and public policy roles. She previously worked for a multi-client government and public affairs firm in Des Moines where she led grassroots advocacy, PAC fundraising, and state and federal lobbying for clients in the financial services industry. She also has experience working with political campaigns, focus group research, and polling.
Outside of work, Gracie loves crafting, trying new recipes, playing games (video, board, etc.), and enjoying an iced latte no matter the weather.
Dakota Chandler
Director, Arts, Media & Communications Career Community
Dakota (she/her) recently joined Grinnell College to lead the Arts, Media, and Communications Career Community. She provides students and early career alumni with advice and support, including industry-focused employment and learning opportunities in the written, visual, and performing arts. She also advises students and graduates interested in marketing and advertising, journalism, museums and heritage organizations, arts administration, and more.
An Illinois native and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA in Communication), Dakota spent her first decade after college in Los Angeles in a range of marketing roles, including positions at entertainment companies like Warner Bros., Hulu, and Disney. This work let her blend a love of creative storytelling with consumer psychology and data. She also has experience leading social media marketing for e-commerce and financial tech companies. This range of experience has Dakota excited to help Grinnell students navigate their own career adventures in the arts.
Outside of work, you can find Dakota partaking in endless interior design pursuits, such as thrifting and painting rooms that surprise her Grinnell-alum partner when he gets home from work. She also loves trying new recipes, hosting friends, and she never turns down a craft class.
Stephanie Christel
Recruitment & Program Coordinator
Stephanie serves as the primary contact for all entities seeking to recruit students at Grinnell College. She also manages all facets of on-campus and virtual recruiting, as well as the on-campus recruiting module.
Stephanie has held academic administrative support positions previously at Vassar College in the Music Department and at The College of Wooster in the English/Foreign Languages Departments before joining Grinnell College. She and her high school sweetheart, who is also the College Librarian, have lived in six different states and visited 19 foreign countries together. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis, reading, completing crosswords, and spending time with her three children (two of them are now in college, so “free time” has become harder to find).
Kelly Harris
Assistant Dean & Director of Employer Engagement
Kelly, serving as Assistant Dean and Director of Employer Engagement, leads a team dedicated to developing and implementing strategies that improve the quality, variety, and inclusiveness of full-time, postgraduate, and experiential learning opportunities for students at Grinnell College. Her team manages Handshake, the online career management platform, organizes engaging on-campus and virtual recruiting events, and cultivates partnerships with a wide range of organizations. She also regularly connects with employers to share insights on recruiting strategies, helping to build strong, successful collaborations— all aimed at creating meaningful connections that genuinely support students’ post-graduate success.
Kelly possesses over two decades of experience in higher education and leadership in career services, having served in senior positions at Eureka College, Florida State University, and Bradley University. In these roles, she developed and managed programs to facilitate connections among students, alumni, and employers. Kelly has also held multiple executive leadership positions and led teams within regional and national organizations. Furthermore, she has conducted nationwide webinars, organized large-scale conferences, delivered presentations at regional and national events, and authored articles on employer engagement. Her dedication to community service was recognized by the Peoria Chamber of Commerce, which named her one of the “25 Women in Leadership.”
Outside of work, Kelly enjoys spending time with her husband, who helps oversee the grounds at the Grinnell Golf Course, her rescue dog, Russa, and their expanding families. Kelly is an avid reader, having founded the America Reads program, which remains active at Bradley University to this day. She also travels extensively and seizes every opportunity to support her cherished St. Louis Cardinals.
Ann Landstrom
Assistant Dean & Director of Global Fellowships & Awards
Ann coordinates the nomination and selection processes for students and alumni interested in nationally competitive fellowships, scholarships, and grants as well as select Grinnell-specific fellowships and awards.
Ann has worked within higher education across the United States from Oregon to New York, yet her roots are in the Midwest, having grown up in South Dakota. Her passion for guiding students along the application path for nationally competitive awards led her to the assistant dean and director position at Grinnell in June 2017, after having served in this same position for seven years at Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, and as fellowship advisor for one year at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. Her other higher education work experiences include strengths-based education advising; graduate school, pre-med, pre-law, and career advising; graduate school and undergraduate admissions; alumni relations; and residence life. Ann holds degrees in higher education counseling and administration (MS, Minnesota State University, Mankato) and home economics journalism (BS, South Dakota State University).
When not working, Ann enjoys spending time with her partner Corey, daughter Sydney, dog Moxy, and cats Nala and Tessa. Yoga, hiking and enjoying nature, reading a good book or watching a good movie, random crafts (i.e. weaving and gnomes), and antiquing keep Ann mindful, centered, creative, and engaged!
Julie Lascol
Associate Director of Community Engaged Learning
Julie (she/her) is the Associate Director of Community-Engaged Learning. She is responsible for supporting faculty and community partners in the design and implementation of community-engaged learning initiatives. Julie is committed to co-constructing power- and privilege-aware projects. She leads the effort of bringing civic action into the classroom to help students grow as self-reflective and civically engaged community members.
Julie, who holds a master’s degree in urban planning, local and regional development from the University of Tours, France, has a background in community development for underprivileged neighborhoods. Before starting at Grinnell College in 2022, she worked for a city in the Parisian metropolitan area. She collaborated with locals, nonprofit organizations, and various institutional partners to build sustainable and mutually beneficial actions for social change. Her work has always been deeply related to her values. Getting involved in the community she lives in is very important to her. In Atlanta, Paris, and Tours, France, she volunteered for various nonprofits that promote the role of art and culture.
In her free time, Julie enjoys playing and listening to music with her twin babies, exploring new places, baking bread, and hiking. With her family, she has lived, explored, and worked in different cities around the world including Dakar, Atlanta, and Paris. Since 2019, they have been enjoying being part of Grinnell’s welcoming community.
Donna Miller
Assistant Dean & Executive Director of Career Communities
As Assistant Dean and Executive Director of Career Communities in the Center for Careers, Life, and Service, Donna’s primary focus is providing support and leadership for the CLS staff and the advising programs, resources, and experiences that our students engage in.
Donna is a native New Yorker whose own journey has taken her from Brooklyn, NY, to Illinois, New Hampshire, and most recently, the Seattle area. Donna received her B.A. (History) from the University of Chicago, and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. After practicing law for seven years, she made the transition to advising law students on their career paths at the law schools of the University of Illinois and the University of New Hampshire. Realizing that a significant number of law students she worked with had chosen the law school option by default, she once again made a transition in her own career in order to assist undergraduate students more fully explore their options.
Perhaps inevitably, one of Donna’s favorite quotes is J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Not all those who wander are lost.” She wants students to know that their career decisions are not fatal … they aren’t even always final … and that each of their experiences will inform and enrich their own life journey.
Vicki Nolton
Assistant Director for Social Innovation Partnerships & Education
As the Assistant Director for Social Innovation Partnerships and Education, Vicki (she/her) is responsible for collaborating with community partners, social innovators, students, faculty, and staff to build a synergistic system that identifies local social justice needs, connects with national and global social innovation resources, and creates opportunities for students to learn how they may address and transform issues of systemic inequity.
Vicki’s understanding of the environmental, economic, political, environmental, health, and community elements of systems thinking originates from her lived experience within food systems in rural Iowa. She also draws upon over 15 years of professional work as a direct-service provider in mental health and human services and as a program coordinator for a maternal and child public health program, all of which have shaped her holistic and pragmatic approach to understanding community needs, building mutually beneficial partnerships, and designing equitable and sustainable solutions to address root causes of challenging issues.
Outside of work, Vicki enjoys hiking(!!!), time with family, planning outdoor getaways, continuing to learn about public health issues and integrating nature into physical, mental, and spiritual health practices.
Amanda Pearce
Assistant Director, Exploratory Career Community
Amanda L. Pearce (she/her) joined the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) in June 2023 as part of the Employer Engagement team. She has transitioned to the Exploratory Career Community where she enjoys connecting with students as they reflect on their interests, values, and strengths while navigating questions about what comes next. She’s especially passionate about helping students explore opportunities and gain confidence in their own unique career journeys.
Drawing from her background in employer engagement, she will continue to use this knowledge to help students explore real-world experiences and connect the dots between their liberal arts education and the world beyond Grinnell.
Amanda earned her master’s degree in education and school counseling from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Prior to joining the CLS, she worked as a school counselor at Grinnell-Newburg High School, supporting students in grades 9–12 with academic planning, postsecondary goals, and social-emotional development. She also brings experience from the nonprofit sector in the Grinnell community.
Outside of the office, Amanda and her husband live on a farm just outside of town, where they raise Black Angus cattle and enjoy life with their horses. They spend much of their free time trail riding throughout Iowa and the Midwest. Amanda also enjoys reading, gardening, and lifting weights. Fun fact: she was once a nationally ranked, sponsored athlete in the sport of powerlifting—and she’s always on the lookout for her next adventure or hobby to explore.
Mark Peltz
Daniel & Patricia Jipp Finkelman Dean
Mark (he/him) oversees all facets of the Center for Careers, Life, and Service, including strategic planning, program development, budget management, and leading a talented team who bring a rich array of experiences to their work at Grinnell. As a member of President Harris’s senior team, Mark consults with the President and other institutional leaders about methods and innovations to strengthen each student’s sense of self, sense of direction, and overall readiness for life after college.
Originally from Iowa, Mark hails from Ankeny, a city just north of Des Moines. He joined the Grinnell College community in April 2011. Before coming to Grinnell, he served as Associate Director of Graduate Business Career Services in the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida, and as Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Career Center at Luther College. A first-generation college graduate, Mark holds degrees from the University of Northern Iowa (BA), Miami University in Ohio (MS), and Iowa State University (PhD).
In his free time, you’ll find Mark spending time with his wife and two sons; cheering on the Red Sox; listening to a true crime podcast; watching a documentary; traveling; reading about and/or discussing education policy; working out; or listening to music (Pixies and Green Day are among his favs).
Dani Perkins
Senior Director, Exploratory Career Community
In her role in the Center for Careers, Life and Service, Dani leads a team focused on supporting first-year students and those exploring their academic and career interests. She wants all students to feel empowered to continually explore their values, strengths, and interests, engage in intentional experiences, and build lasting connections. In addition, she contributes to the division’s broader goals through overseeing communications and marketing initiatives and supporting strategic initiatives. She will also teach the new Career Catalyst course launching in Fall 2025, which is designed to provide students with early, guided engagement in career development.
Originally from central Illinois, Dani has worked in higher education in several roles at colleges and universities, including Indiana University—Bloomington, Ithaca College, and Cornell University. She also served as a public library director.
Dani received her B.F.A. in drawing from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and her M.S. in College Student Services Administration from Oregon State University. She is pursuing her Ed.D. in Postsecondary Education: Student Affairs at the University of Northern Iowa.
In addition to being an avid knitter and reader, Dani paints and watches too much TV. She lives in Grinnell with her husband, who also works at the college, and her four children (two of whom are cats, who you can learn more about on Norman and Cash Money’s profile).
Mark Peterson
Career Adviser
Mark (he/him) joined the CLS in December 2024 as a STEM career advisor, working remotely. Currently, he is working with Grinnell students in both the STEM and the Business and Finance areas. Previously, for more than 20 years he advised students across a broad portfolio of graduate degree programs as Director of Graduate Business Career Services at Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business. Prior to that, he advised undergraduate business students at The Tippie College of Business at The University of Iowa. Mark greatly enjoys helping college students to navigate and optimize their career opportunities, and to develop solid career advancement strategies. Mark’s CLS role is 100% remote.
Mark has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management with a Marketing emphasis from Simpson College and an MBA in Marketing and International Business from The University of Iowa. In addition to his work in higher ed, Mark has leveraged the academic calendar to enable a parallel career as a photographic artist and photography educator. Earlier in his career, he also founded or was involved in early-stage growth of several start-up companies. He lives in the university town of Ames, Iowa.
Mark and his wife—along with their two golden retrievers—often spend extended periods of time in Arizona and Colorado, where their adult children live, and where they enjoy hiking in summer and fall, and skiing in winter and spring. They also travel internationally as often as possible. When not working or traveling, Mark makes an almost-daily attempt to create the perfect cappuccino, listens to music, and explores the outdoors.
Amanda Reimer
Program Coordinator
Amanda began working at Grinnell College in August 2024. As program coordinator in Career, Life, & Services, she connects with students to help with their journey to their desired future.
Before embarking on the journey with Grinnell College, she has taken on many roles within the Grinnell Community as a Customer Care Representative, Restaurant/Bar Manager, and is well integrated in the community through her own family. She has lived in Grinnell since ’91, and while exploring other locations briefly, she has always migrated back.
In what free time she has left, she spends with her family of two boys and husband attempting to travel when the time allows. She is also involved in the local Scouting group and other community programs. She enjoys reading, being outdoors and spoiling her five cats and that one pesky dog. A new favorite is attending surrounding Renaissance Faires.
Mandee Rust
Exploratory Adviser
Mandee Rust (she/her) joined the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) in April 2026 as an Exploratory Adviser. She helps students connect their interests, values, and lived experiences to paths that feel both realistic and meaningful, especially when those paths are not linear.
Originally from Central Illinois, Mandee is a first-generation college graduate and TRIO alum of Western Illinois University, where she earned both her B.A. in Communication (’16) and M.S. in College Student Personnel (’22). She recently moved from St. Louis, Missouri, where she worked as a Career Counselor at Saint Louis University. Along with her student affairs experience, she also has experience in off-campus student housing.
Outside of work, Mandee loves going to concerts, thrifting, shopping for vinyl records, trivia nights, and spending time with her two cats, Lenny and Cece.
Fun fact: Mandee has also worked on the radio as an on-air personality.
Susan Sanning
Associate Dean and Executive Director of Civic Education & Innovation
As Associate Dean and Executive Director of Civic Education & Innovation at Grinnell College, Susan helps students discover the role they want to play in creating more just, equitable, and sustainable communities. She works in collaboration with community partners, staff, and faculty to support curricular and co-curricular initiatives that invite students to think critically about how their experiences and education inform how systems work, whom they benefit, whom they overlook and how we might want to contribute to change—together. Through individualized advising, communal problem-solving, and innovative campus-community learning opportunities, she supports students as they map out their own pathways toward civic responsibility and lifelong engagement.
Susan’s own journey has taken her from Boston to the Chicago area, Houston, and Princeton. She earned a BBA in finance and management from Baylor University before shifting her focus to questions of society, identity, and justice through an MDiv and ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary and further graduate work in women’s studies and world religions at Drew University. Prior to joining Grinnell, she served as a chaplain and spiritual caregiver for Hospice of Central Iowa and Grinnell Regional Medical Center. This work instilled in her a deep respect for Iowa, the power of community, the hope that is born in resilience, and the importance of equity in change-making. These values continue to shape how she mentors students and builds partnerships rooted in reciprocity and co-creation.
At home, Susan and her husband, Erik Sanning (Technical Director in Grinnell’s Theatre and Dance Department), keep busy on their hobby farm training therapy dogs and tending to their horses and laying hens. She has two grown daughters and is a proud grandmother to her grandchildren, Luke and Hallie. When she isn’t on campus, Susan can be found reading historical fiction, championing systems change education, gardening, or walking the beaches of Anna Maria Island.
Specialties and Interests
Civic Education and InnovationMary Jane Shroyer
Director, Health Professions Career Community
Mary Jane leads the Health Professions Career Community at Grinnell. She provides students and early career alumni industry-focused advising, experiential learning opportunities, and targeted programming as they focus and connect their values, strengths, and interests to specific postgraduate goals and ambitions related to medicine and healthcare. She also advises students and graduates interested in attending medical school or pursuing graduate or professional degrees in the health professions.
A native of Fargo, North Dakota, Mary Jane completed her undergraduate degree at Truman State University in Missouri (B.S., Biology) where she was a Goldwater Scholar. She went on to complete a graduate degree at Oregon State University (M.S., Microbiology); her research focused on the biochemistry of proteins involved in bacterial DNA repair. Prior to her arrival at Grinnell, she served as the pre-health professions advisor at Knox College for five years. She is an active member of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions, currently serving as the association’s ambassador to the National Advisory Committee of the Summer Health Professions Education Program.
When not advising students, Mary Jane loves to travel and is equally at home exploring new cities or the great outdoors. The eternal roadie, she attends far too many musical and theatrical performances by her spouse, children, and in-laws.
Ryan Solomon
Director of Civic Education and Innovation
Ryan facilitates community engagement opportunities for students at Grinnell College, both through funded programs, like Service-Learning Work Study, and volunteer opportunities. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Ryan completed his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, after which he taught at Colgate University and the University of Chicago. Ryan specializes in community dialogue work, but he has run a range of community engagement programs, from migrant rights programs to anti-racism projects. Ryan is a keen believer in the role of community engagement in building democratic skills and attitudes.
Teresa Whiteman
Director, Business & Finance Career Community
Teresa (she/her) joined Grinnell College in August 2026 as the Director of the Business and Finance Career Community. She provides students and early career alumni with guidance, resources, and industry-focused opportunities as they explore careers in investment banking, entrepreneurship, insurance, consulting, corporate functions, and related fields.
Before joining Grinnell, Teresa built a successful career in the finance and insurance industry, serving in mid-level management roles with respected organizations including Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Insurance Company, Mutual of Omaha, and Medica Health Insurance Company. Her professional experience has given her deep insight into navigating complex business environments, leading teams, and making strategic decisions, all of which inform her work with students as they prepare for their own career journeys.
Teresa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resource Management from Doane College and later completed her MBA at Creighton University. Growing up in a military and entrepreneurial household, she developed resilience, self-discipline, and adaptability from an early age. These values continue to shape both her professional approach and her commitment to helping students build confidence and thrive in an ever-changing world of work.
Outside of work, Teresa, her husband Tom, and their school-aged son Owen enjoy life in the Des Moines metro area. Self-described homebodies and foodies, they love spending time together at home, exploring new restaurants, and creating memorable family experiences.