Grinnell College Honors 10 Alumni With Awards During Reunion

Grinnell, Iowa -- Grinnell College recognized the professional accomplishments and service contributions of 10 alumni during Alumni Reunion Weekend, May 30-June 2, on the Grinnell campus.

Alumni Award winners are members of reunion classes who have distinguished themselves in their careers and communities and embody Grinnell's mission of lifelong learning and service.

The honored alumni are:

• Heather Pitts Newton, a member of the Class of 1949 from Muskegon, Mich., for her work as a longtime teacher at Muskegon Heights Public Schools, and for decades of service to Grinnell College. • Don R. Yungclas, a member of the class of 1950 from Wichita, Kansas, for service to others through his leadership in the United Church of Christ. • David M. Van Nostrand, a member of the class of 1958 from Sartell, Minn., for helping vulnerable patients get access to top-notch care through Wings of Mercy, a program that helps fly near-terminal patients to medical centers all over the country. • George T. McJimsey, a member of the class of 1958 from Ames, Iowa, for outstanding scholarship as a professor of history at Iowa State University, and for exceptional volunteer work. • Yasmina Stefanovic Vinci Manning, a member of the class of 1963 from Arlington, Va., for efforts to provide early childhood education through her leadership of the National Head Start Association, and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. • Mary Greenwood, a member of the class of 1978 from Menlo Park, Calif., for her principled legal work. • Sandra J. Stein, a member of the class of 1988 from New York, N.Y., for supporting transformative educational leaders through the New York City Leadership Academy. • Emily A. Bergl, a member of the class of 1997 from Los Angeles, Calif., for her work as an actor and for her social justice efforts. • Joshua A. Tepfer, a member of the class of 1997 from Chicago, Ill., for working for legal justice for young children through his work at the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at Northwestern University School of Law. • The late Warren A. Morrow, a member of the class of 1999 who lived in Des Moines, for bettering the lives of others by founding Coopera, an organization that partners with credit unions to develop culturally relevant services for Latinos.

About Grinnell College 
 Since its founding in 1846, Grinnell has become one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges, enrolling 1,600 students from all 50 states and from as many international countries. Grinnell's rigorous academic program emphasizes excellence in education for students in the liberal arts; the college offers the B.A. degree in a range of departments across the humanities, arts and sciences. Grinnell has a strong tradition of social responsibility and action, and self-governance and personal responsibility are key components of campus life. More information about Grinnell College is available at www.grinnell.edu.

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