Ben Newhouse

Ben Newhouse is a Midwest transplant, spending most of his formative years in the suburbs of Houston, TX and then living in San Antonio for 17 years. Prior to Grinnell, Ben lived in Birmingham, AL, while serving as Dean of Students at Birmingham-Southern College for six years. Ben received a B.A. in Psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, and a M.Ed. in College and University Student Personnel Administration from The University of Texas at Austin. In 2021, Ben received his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Colorado State University.

Ben enjoys bursting out in song to his favorite musicals at inopportune moments (apologies in advance), pursuing culinary perfection of beloved dishes with his partner (recent success: Pain au Chocolat; ongoing project: queso), spoiling his yellow lab (Mabel) rotten, and adding way too many parenthetical asides to his hobbies paragraph. Ben also enjoys cheering on the Tennessee Titans and San Antonio Spurs and listening to audiobooks while tackling DIY projects around the house. Ben fancies himself a connoisseur of pop culture and loves to chat with students about the latest binge-worthy series (current faves: Ted Lasso and Shrinking).

Ben loves Grinnell’s focus on social responsibility and self-governance. He values being a part of a community that cares deeply about one another and the world beyond this place. Ben shares, “Grinnell students reaffirm my hope for the future, knowing that they will use their educational experience to make a positive difference in the world.”

Ben works closely with the 2nd and 4th year experience, Student Support and Advocacy, Student Health and Wellness, and the Center for Religion, Spiritualty and Social Justice.  Ben serves as the Chief Conduct Officer for the College and the Title IX Deputy for Student Conduct.