DSU’s Carolyn Curry Receives 2010 ACE Leadership Award

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Carolyn Curry, DSU vice president of Institutional Advancement, has been honored with a 2010 American Council on Education (ACE) Leadership Award.

Nauleen Perry (l), Dr. Wilma Mishoe (r), Delaware Tech administrators, with DSU's Phyllis Collins, Academic Enrichment executive director, share a moment at the ACE Fall Dinner.

The honor was presented to Ms. Curry during the annual Fall Dinner and Awards Ceremony of the ACE Delaware Network of the Office of Women in Higher Education, held Oct. 6 in the Martin Luther King Student Center on the DSU campus. The Delaware Network is comprised by women administrators and instructors from all of the higher education institutions in the First State.

In presenting the award, Deborah M. McCreery of Widener University School of Law noted that Ms. Curry is a model of leadership for her staff. “She is an advocate for the development and training of up-and-coming leaders within the University, making sure they have opportunities to learn, grow and succeed,” said Ms. McCreery, a past president of the Delaware Network ACE-OWHE.

The organization cited the impact that Ms. Curry -- who has been at DSU since 2004 -- has had at DSU, such as the instrumental role she has played in establishing an enrollment management infrastructure that has resulted in a student population increase from 3,000 to 3,700. Under her leadership, the University Foundation, Inc. has been established, and integrated marketing structure has greatly enhanced the University’s image and brand; and created a community affairs unit.

The keynote speaker was Carla Markell, the wife of Delaware Gov. Jack Markell. Also honored with a Leadership Award was Dr. Kimberly Joyce, assistant vice president for Educational Support in the Office of the President at Delaware Technical & Community College. The organization awarded its Rising Star Award to Erin Zoranski, a full-time language instructor (Spanish as well as English as a second language) at Delaware Technical & Community College.

DSU Office of Assessment's Bina Daniels, DSU First Lady Dr. Robin Williams and Amystique Harris-Church of the DSU Office of Testing attended the dinner.

Last year the organization awarded its 2009 Rising Star Award to DSU’s Lisa Dunning, director of the College of Business Advisement Center.

It has been an award-winning fall season for Ms. Curry and her husband Dr. Daniel Curry, superintendent of the Lake Forest School District (in Central Delaware), who was also in attendance at the ACE dinner in support of his wife. The Delaware Chief State School Officers recently honored Dr. Curry as the 2010 Delaware Superintendent of the Year.