New Year, New President

President Kington and some of the students at NSO 2010

President Raynard Kington, M.D., Ph.D., had a special bond with his audience during New Student Orientation this fall. In one of his first official acts as president of Grinnell College, he faced a sea of faces and explained “You and I are beginning a grand adventure at the same time.”

In a whirlwind weekend, Kington ended his tenure at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on a Friday, flying in to welcome the incoming class of 2014 the next day. Over the next several weeks, he and his family will be settling into the community and college life.

In an early act, Kington will open the 2010-11 academic year with a Scholars Convocation on Thurs., Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. in Herrick Chapel. He will discuss “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health in the U.S.: Patterns, Causes, Trends,” reviewing the scientific evidence on racial and ethnic disparities and the challenges for intervention.

Grinnell College welcomes our newest president.

This was originally published in The Grinnell Magazine, Fall 2010.