Marzia Corni-Benson is a Director of Grants and Federal Affairs in the Higher Education Practice at McAllister & Quinn. In her role, she partners with colleges and universities to identify and pursue external funding opportunities, develop competitive grant proposals, and build institutional capacity for sustained success in securing federal, foundation, and state funding. Marzia brings deep expertise in grant writing and proposal development, translating complex funding requirements into compelling, compliant submissions aligned with client priorities.
With over 20 years of experience in higher education, Marzia has led institutional grant strategy and operations across both two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities, supporting a broad portfolio of funding initiatives spanning student success, academic program development, and research advancement. She has successfully guided institutional partners through all phases of the grant lifecycle, from opportunity identification and project design to submission, award management, and reporting. Her experience includes extensive work with federal programs, including the U.S. Department of Education, as well as major foundation and research funders.
Prior to joining McAllister & Quinn, Marzia served as Director of Grant Programs at Simpson College, where she oversaw all grant-related activities and collaborated closely with institutional leadership, faculty, and external partners to advance strategic funding goals. She also served as Director of TRIO Student Support Services, managing a federally funded program supporting first-generation, low-income, and students with disabilities, with responsibility for compliance, budgeting, and program performance. Marzia also served as Grant Administrator in the Office of Research at Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. Outside of grant-related work, Marzia taught Spanish both at the high school and college level.
Marzia holds a Master of Arts in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Truman State University.