Alumni Hall of Fame
Constantine "Deno" Curris
Constantine "Deno" Curris received his M.A. in Political Science in 1965. His B.A. and Ph.D. are from the University of Kentucky.
Dr. Curris has served as president at three universities: Murray State University for 10 years, the University of Northern Iowa for 12 years, and Clemson University for over 4 years. In 1999 he was selected as president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), a national organization of over 400 public colleges and universities.
Curris is a strong advocate for public higher education and its students and a proponent of the qualitative strengthening of higher education institutions in order to meet public needs and expectations in the 21st century. Curris has been associated with AASCU since 1973 as a member of several Association committees, its Board of Directors and in 1995 as Chairman of the Board.
Other professional experiences for Dr. Curris include appointments to the 1998 Commission on the Future of the South; the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities; the Education Commission of the States; the Iowa Board of Economic Development; the South Carolina Research Authority; the Sigma Chi Foundation; and the chairmanships of American Humanics, Inc. and the Iowa Task Force on Teacher Education and Certification.