Volunteer Spotlight: David Rosenbaum '78

When it comes to the College, David Rosenbaum '78 wears many hats.

First, David has served as a class fund director (CFD) since 2005. As such, he is charged with gaining support from his classmates for the Pioneer Fund and encouraging them to maintain and broaden their connections to the College. During his brief tenure as CFD, contributions from the class of 1978 to the Pioneer Fund have more than doubled.

In addition, as part of his class committee, David has assisted in planning for the upcoming cluster reunion for the classes of 1977, 1978 and 1979.

David has also taught a three-week "short course" at Grinnell in each of the last three semesters as part of the Donald L. Wilson Program in Enterprise and Leadership. Drawing on his years of experience as a distinguished intellectual property attorney, David has twice taught a course titled Intellectual Property and its Role in Global Socioeconomic Shifts. He is currently preparing a new course for this spring on Intellectual Property Law and Politics.

David's law firm, Rosenbaum & Associates, has also sponsored internships through Grinnell's Career Development Office. Over the last several years, the firm has sponsored five students for eight-week internships.

Last and definitely not least, David is the father of Stephanie Rosenbaum '08, a Grinnell senior majoring in Spanish. His two other children, Matthew and Mara, are seniors in high school. David's sister, Julie Rosenbaum '80, also graduated from Grinnell.

Such diverse volunteer experiences with the College have made David an ardent advocate for greater alumni involvement. David says: "Writing checks is just one step. I've been trying to get my classmates to get involved in the College today, whether by coming to Reunion, sponsoring an internship, or speaking on campus - a myriad of opportunities exists."

When alumni do get involved, David believes they will find the spirit and culture of the College much the same as they remember. In fact, David has found the only real differences to be greater diversity and an even higher intellectual caliber of student.