Since 2017 Graner has also been dedicated to helping students at Illinois College explore new possibilities for their future careers. Through his role as associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Colorado Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus, Graner, an expert in brain tumors, has opened the doors of his organization to IC students through the Summer Neurosurgery Research Fellowship.

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Morgan Lenz ’18, who is now pursuing a graduate degree in neuroscience at Loyola University Chicago, was the first IC student to work with Graner last year. “Morgan did an outstanding job in the lab,” said Graner. “I’m looking forward to more students coming to Colorado to work with us so they can expand their learning experiences in both a research and clinical setting.”

From his own time at IC, Graner says his instructors left an “indelible impact” on him, including Dr. Elaine Chapman and Dr. Bob Evans. Through his professional career, he’s found his liberal arts education to be extremely beneficial in terms of promoting open-minded critical thinking and effective writing. Graner has stayed connected to his alma mater by giving visiting lectures to classes and following the College on social media. He said he has been impressed that the College has stayed innovative over time with world-class research and dynamic leadership.