Recent News

Central faculty traveled to Iceland (top left), Trinidad (top right), Greece (bottom left) and Chile (bottom right).

Central Faculty Explore New International Programs

Central College faculty completed international travel in May and June funded by a grant from the Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students Program. This grant is funded by the U.S. Department of State and supported in its implementatio...

Jul 27, 2023, 10:00am EDT

Aaron Roerdink ’97 was named the associate dean of learning enrichment and associate professor-in-residence of chemistry at Central.

Central College Appoints Associate Dean of Learning Enrichment

Aaron Roerdink, a 1997 Central graduate, has been named the inaugural associate dean of learning enrichment and associate professor-in-residence of chemistry at Central College. He will begin at Central in late-July. "Aaron brings exceptional skills t...

Jul 26, 2023, 1:25pm EDT

Central College students completed a mission trip to Kigoma, Tanzania.

Central College Campus Ministries Honors Donor

The joy of giving continues for the Braskamp family. In Spring 2022, seven siblings established an endowment at Central College to honor their parents - Allan and Grace Braskamp. That endowment is now spreading joy through community outreach and missio...

Jul 24, 2023, 3:23pm EDT

Shelley Bradfield poses questions to students in Social Justice in the City course.

Central College Students Learn Firsthand About Social Justice in the City

This summer Central College is offering a Social Justice in the City course, which introduces students to social justice issues. During June and July, participants attend class and serve with local nonprofits in Des Moines, Iowa, that are addressing so...

Jul 20, 2023, 10:56am EDT

The new Central board of trustees joining in 2023 are: front row, from left: Shannan Mattiace ’90, Kara Kohler Hoogensen ’96, Lori Fegley ’80 and Kelly Vielmo ’99. Backrow, from left, Dave Smith and Marc Poortinga ’98.

Central College Welcomes Six New Board Members

Central College announced changes to its Board of Trustees with the addition of six new members and the retirement of three individuals. Joining the Central board are Lori Fegley, Kara Kohler Hoogensen, Shannan Mattiace, Marc Poortinga, Dave Smith and...

Jul 19, 2023, 11:20am EDT

Central College Honors Retiring Administrators

Central College celebrates the careers of two longstanding administrators who retired after the 2022-23 academic year - Carol Williamson and Marguerite "Peggy" Fitch. Carol Williamson retired from the role of vice president for student development and...

Jul 17, 2023, 10:33am EDT

Katherine Stroh, Central College Class of 2024, landed a science internship for the summer at the Ames Laboratory with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Central Engineering Student Chosen for Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship

Katherine Stroh, Central College Class of 2024 from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was selected for a U.S. Department of Energy Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship. Stroh, an engineering major at Central, will work at the Ames National Laboratory in Ames, I...

Jun 26, 2023, 12:46pm EDT

Summer Sterrenberg, Class of 2024, will conduct research at the University of California Irvine this summer.

Central Chemistry Student Secures Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Central College's Summer Sterrenberg, Class of 2024, has been awarded one of the highly competitive Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships through the National Science Foundation. Sterrenberg from Lake Mills, Iowa, will spend nine weeks this summer ...

Jun 22, 2023, 10:24am EDT

Central announces the incoming Class of 2027 scholars who received full-tuition scholarships.

Central College Announces 2023 Top Scholarship Awardees

Central College is proud to announce this year's recipients of full-tuition Kuyper Scholarships, Pella Corporation Engineering Scholarship, Rolscreen Foundation Scholarships and the Thomas Ross Smith Scholarship - the most prestigious awards granted at...

Jun 21, 2023, 11:32am EDT

Our ecosystem and crop production depends on bees. Central College students presented research at the Iowa Academy of Science Annual Meeting about bee research at Central College.

Central College Represented at Iowa Academy of Science Annual Meeting

Central College students presented at the Iowa Academy of Science Annual Meeting in April on the University of Northern Iowa campus. The presentation, "Using DNA Barcoding to Study the Bee Diversity in Big Rock Park," focuses on identifying the diversi...

Jun 15, 2023, 2:17pm EDT

About Central College

Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private college known for its active student body, academic rigor and athletics success. Our students learn collaboratively with supportive educators who share a commitment to intellectual engagement, personal growth, career readiness and civic involvement. Founded in 1853 and shaped by its Christian heritage, the college of 1,100 students participates in NCAA Division III athletics and is a member of the American Rivers Conference. Central is an active part of the Greater Des Moines region and just minutes from Lake Red Rock, Iowa’s largest lake.