Grinnell College Alumni Council welcomes six new members
August 12, 2026 — Six Grinnell alums with plentiful volunteer experience and expertise in the arts, science, law, education, and business have joined the Grinnell College Alumni Council.
The new Council members for 2026-27 are:
- Janet Welsh ’83
- Abel Smith III ’85
- Angela Matsuoka ’04
- Margo Gray ’05
- Lisa Eshun-Wilson ’14
- Ishaan Tibrewal ’21
Each new member will serve an initial two-year term through Reunion 2028, and they are eligible to serve through 2032. Council members can be elected for up to three consecutive terms.
The new members took the positions vacated by Becky Reetz Neal ’65, Ed Atkins ’66, Scott Shepherd ’82, Vivek Venugopal ’01, and Ben Vaughn Jr. ’15.
Jeremy Youde ’99 has also transitioned to be an ex-officio member in his new role as the inaugural Alumni Council Trustee. In this officer position, new in 2026, he will serve as a voting member of the Board of Trustees. Alongside the Council president, Youde will operate as a liaison between the Board and the Alumni Council.
The mission of the Alumni Council is to support purposeful, lifelong relationships among Grinnell alumni and between the alumni and College communities. The 26-member group promotes engagement and philanthropy among alumni and supports Grinnell’s leadership, faculty, staff, and students in the advancement of the College. Council meetings this school year will be held on campus Nov 5-7 and April 8-10.
“It’s my privilege to welcome this year’s new members to the Alumni Council,” says Suha Gillani ’16, Alumni Council president. “They bring such a rich range of experience and each of them carries forward the same spirit of curiosity and care that defines a Grinnellian. I couldn’t be more excited to see what we build together in the year ahead.”
Get to know the new members joining the Council:
Janet Welsh ’83
Hometown: State College, PA
Committee Assignment: Alumni Awards Committee
Welsh is a research professor of health and human development at Penn State University. Her field of study is prevention science. “I love working with college students and with communities and organizations trying to implement prevention strategies,” she says.
With her children grown up and out of the house now, Welsh has more time to pursue things she’s passionate about. Grinnell is certainly of those things.
“Grinnell was a defining chapter in my life, and I have remained connected since graduating,” she says. “I want to help assure that students now, and in the future, have the same amazing opportunities I had to discover themselves and engage with the world.”
Abel Smith III ’85
Hometown: Bethesda, MD
Committee Assignment: Alumni Awards Committee
Smith recently retired after working 30 years as a public sector attorney. His last position was assistant chief counsel for general law at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. He previously was an attorney for the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
A member of the Grinnell Black Alumni Network (GBAN), Smith has been a speaker and panel member at GBAN events. He says Grinnell opened many doors for him.
“When I attended the College, the opportunity to interact with alumni made a big impression,” Smith says. “I was able to do career previews with several alumni in the fields of law and business. These opportunities ultimately guided my career and life decisions. I would like to pass on my experience to current and prospective students and provide input to the Alumni Council.”
Angela Matsuoka ’04
Hometown: Des Moines, IA
Committee Assignment: Membership Development Committee
Matsuoka is a K-12 curriculum designer with the Art of Education. Among her hobbies are traveling, rowing, and trying new things.
For her alma mater, Matsuoka has served as a Multicultural Reunion Volunteer and a Regional Network Committee Member. As a first-generation student from an immigrant family, she looks forward to contributing to ongoing efforts to support and include students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring they have the resources and community needed to thrive.
“Grinnell represents not only an incredibly important four years in my life, but also a foundation for how I view the world, analyze ideas, ask questions, and engage with my community,” Matsuoka says. “I am deeply grateful for my time at Grinnell, and it is both a privilege and a joy to give back through service on the Alumni Council.”
Margo Gray ’05
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Committee Assignment: Philanthropy Committee
Gray is an artist who designs experiences through a variety of tools such as game design, writing, interactive performance, installation, and film. She also works with graduate students at the University of Minnesota in several programs.
Gray has served Grinnell as a class agent, Reunion Planning Committee member, externship host, and leads Team Rainbow’s efforts to assemble Alumni Care Packages for LGBTQIA+ students.
“Every chance I’ve had to interact with current Grinnell students, such as care package distribution, working with Reunion student staff, or hosting externs, I’ve enjoyed hearing about the amazing things they’re doing,” she says. “I look forward to doing my part to continue to make Grinnell a nurturing institution for students and alumni.”
Lisa Eshun-Wilson ’14
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Committee Assignment: Philanthropy Committee
Eshun-Wilson is a protein biochemist and structural biologist passionate about health and longevity. She was selected for a 2023 Joseph F. Wall ’41 Alumni Service Award and was the recipient of a Pioneer Award in 2024.
She joined the Alumni Council because she wants to learn the inner workings of how to best support future students.
“Grinnell is world-renowned for connecting and cultivating curious, purpose-driven minds, and I want to be part of that pipeline in a meaningful way,” Eshun-Wilson says. “As a Grinnell alumna who went on to earn a Ph.D. and build an interdisciplinary career spanning biotechnology, wellness, and entrepreneurship, I know firsthand how transformative this institution can be. I want to give back by helping prospective and current students see what is possible beyond the conventional path, and to advocate for the kind of bold, self-directed thinking Grinnell instills.”
Ishaan Tibrewal ’21
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Committee Assignment: Alumni Awards Committee
Tibrewal worked in economic consulting at Analysis Group, finding the human story inside data on complex antitrust and litigation matters. He is currently pursuing his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.
Tibrewal has been involved with Grinnell as a class agent, a Regional Network Committee member, and he served on the Planning Committee organizing the 5th year cluster at Reunion 2026.
“My four years at Grinnell helped shape who I am,” he says. “The community I found there was caring, supportive, and pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect. I am deeply grateful for that.”
As part of the Alumni Council, Tibrewal wants to invest in three things: “the experience of current students, the relationship between alumni and the college, and the professional opportunities available to current Grinnellians.”
Other Council news
The Council also re-elected the following members to their second terms: Jay Dick ’93, David Kurzman ’96, Maggie Bian ’09, and Mairéad O’Grady ’10. Gillani, Sasha Aslanian ’90, Jennifer Beinart ’06, Atavia Whitfield ’06, and Natz Soberanes ’13 were elected to their third Council terms.
Aslanian was also elected Alumni Council president-elect for this year. She will serve as president in 2027-28.
In addition to three standing committees (Alumni Awards, Membership Development and Philanthropy), the Council is bringing back the Career Exploration Task Force, as well as adding the new International Alumni Engagement Task Force.
Co-chaired by Jay Dick and David Kurzman ’96, the Philanthropy Committee works with annual giving leadership to advocate for alumni giving to Grinnell and help create a culture of philanthropy. Last year, this committee led fundraising efforts for grants that students receive from the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS).
Co-chaired by Grisel Hernandez ’17 and Steve MacFarlane ’82, the Career Exploration Task Force partners with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) and the CLS to improve pathways through which alumni can support students’ career exploration. Last year, the task force helped plan the inaugural Second-Year Spotlight Conference and will do so again this year.
Chaired by Soberanes, the International Alumni Engagement Task Force will research and develop a recommendation for a framework to guide engagement, programming, and philanthropic outreach for alums who live outside of the United States.
—by Jeremy Shapiro