Keith Yanner, Central College professor of political science, won Iowa Campus Compact’s Engaged Campus award for Civic Mission Leadership. The award recognizes Yanner’s leadership and efforts for the civic mission of higher education. Cheri Doane, Kim Koza, Michael Harris and Morgan Ernst of Central College were also recognized May 31 at Iowa Campus Compact’s annual awards lunch at the University of Iowa.
Keith Yanner, professor of political science
Keith Yanner, Central College professor of political science, won Iowa Campus Compact’s Engaged Campus award for Civic Mission Leadership.
Keith Yanner earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 1979 and worked as a print journalist for seven years. He completed a Ph.D. in political science at Washington University in St. Louis in 1992. He has taught full time since 1991. At Central, Yanner teaches several courses that involve service. According to Iowa Campus Compact, he commits considerable amounts of personal time and talent to Central’s community partners. For example, when Yanner learned that several Southeast Asian ethnic minorities’ history and culture were being diminished, he proposed a grant and oral history project. He conducted interviews himself and created refugee training so community members could conduct interviews in native languages. Also, with students in his “History and Policy of Disability” class students (a senior level capstone project), Yanner bowls weekly with clients served by another community partner. Yanner, Iowa Campus Compact noted, is even willing to use his own disability to further students’ understanding of topics. He always volunteers alongside students, providing capacity building and direct services to community partners as part of Central’s holistic model.
Cheri Doane, Central College director of community-based learning, received Network Leadership Award at the May 31 ceremony. Other honors for Central community members included:
- Cheri Doane, honorable mention for community partnership
- Kim Koza, associate professor of English, and Michael Harris, professor of English, honorable mention for emerging innovation for “Social Justice in the City” course
- Morgan Ernst ’17, honorable mention for Iowa College AmeriCorps Program member of the year
Also, Des Moines’ I Have a Dream Foundation, nominated by Central College and Drake University for Iowa Campus Compact’s Community Partnership Award, received honorable mention. Central partners with the organization to help make Dreamer Academy possible.
Founded in 1853, Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, residential four-year liberal arts college known for its academic rigor and strength in global experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), sustainability education, athletics success and tradition, and leadership and service. Central continues to value its long-standing relationship with the Reformed Church in America. The college participates in NCAA Division III athletics and is a member of the Iowa Conference. Central is an active part of the Greater Des Moines region and just two minutes from Lake Red Rock, Iowa’s largest lake.
