5 Questions with David Borgmeyer
January 2025, David Borgmeyer joined the Grinnell College community where he serves as associate director in the Office of Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations. Borgmeyer most recently served in an administrative role directing research development in the Office of the Vice President for Research at Saint Louis University, previously holding the role of faculty director of SLU’s Center for International Studies. He recently shared with us some of his interests and family ties to Iowa; he also challenged us to a game of two truths and a lie.
Q: What was the path that brought you to Grinnell?
A: I grew up in St. Louis and have most recently come from there, but over the years I’ve studied and taught, worked and lived in Texas, the Midwest, on both the East and West Coasts, and on four different continents. Though I’ve not lived in Iowa before, my mother’s family is from here, so I spent my childhood attending a range of family events across the state. Fun story: my grandfather was the catcher for the Pilot Grove, an Iowa baseball team early in the previous century, which he gave up when he decided to pursue dentistry and realized it would be a good idea to avoid damaging his hands.
Q: What can you tell us about your role at Grinnell?
A: The office of Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations seems to be simply called “the Grants Office” by just about everyone, which is a good, simplified name for what we do. My role is focused on supporting research especially, but not exclusively, by assisting faculty efforts to secure research funding from external sources. It is already clear to me that there’s a lot of points of contact with many other parts of the College, which is great. In addition to the work with faculty on individual proposals, I’m also excited about helping to build up ways to support people that really help enable faculty to realize their research ambitions: skills development, institutional and peer support, securing resources needed, and of course, helping to recognize and celebrate the research success of the amazing community at Grinnell.
Q: What hobbies or activities do you enjoy?
A: I enjoy hiking, camping, and generally being outdoors, regardless of the weather. I also enjoy travel, baseball, cooking, and running. I will confess that I have a soft spot for a dram of good scotch whisky, and I also have a vintage convertible that I’ve been trying (and mostly failing) for years to keep running properly. My academic training was in Russian studies, and my scholarly work has focused on Russian modernist art and literature. It’s still important to me, and I can spend hours on end in almost any art museum or lost in a novel.
Do you know the game two truths and a lie? One person makes three statements, two of which are true and one of which is not … let’s play: I’ve jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, I’ve been questioned by the KGB, and I earned my first college credits when I was in 5th grade. If you see me around campus, you can make a guess! Of course, they may all be true, or they may all be lies. How can you know?
Q: What has your experience been like working with Grinnellians?
A: Great! Everyone has been very kind and welcoming. Even in a short period of time, it’s become clear what a vibrant and supportive intellectual community there is here, and it’s great to be a part of it.
Q: What is your favorite Grinnell moment to date?
A: More years ago than I care to admit, when I was a high school senior, Grinnell was actually my first choice for college. I visited campus and really liked it (not surprisingly); this is where I wanted to go. In the end, though, I ultimately matriculated elsewhere, and I hadn’t been to Grinnell again since then. Being back on campus here has a kind of full circle feeling. It’s really nice.