Shirley Strum Kenny, teacher, researcher and administrative leader, has been named the 1989-90 College of Communication Outstanding Alumnus.
Kenny earned bachelor's degrees in journalism and English from The University of Texas at Austin. She also earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate from the University of Chicago. She served as editor of The Daily Texan and eventually taught classes at the university.
Kenny became president of Queens College and Stony Brook, the first woman to be named to both presidencies. One of her major goals was enhancing undergraduate education so she established the National Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University to create a new model of undergraduate education for major research universities.
Kenny is also widely recognized for her initiatives to build bridges between the academic and business communities and has also been active in business and education collaborations on workforce issues. At Stony Brook she was committed to strengthening relations with business and involving the university deeply in community affairs.
Kenny has served as a member of the boards of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Long Island Association and the Fulbright Association among others. She has been honored as Outstanding Woman at the University of Maryland, Outstanding Alumnus at the University of Chicago and recipient of the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal.
Outstanding Alumni
Judith Albino
Joe Belden
Victor Bray
Jean Brown
Sarita Brown
Earl Campbell
Elizabeth Carrow-Woolfolk
Elizabeth Chambers
George Christian
Norman Campbell
Liz Carpenter
Ann Sutherland Chappell
Melody Chatelle
Patricia Cole
Charles Devall
Juliet Garcia
Bill Geddie
Joe Goulden
Bruce Hendricks
Karen Elliott House
Fred Farias III
Jeff Hunt
Wayne Johnson
Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson
Alejandro Junco de la Vega
Shirley Strum Kenny
Robert Levi
Jordan Levin
Oscar Longoria
Sara Martinez Tucker
Sue McBee
Staley McBrayer
Jim McDonald
Willliam H. McRaven
Mark Pannes
Tex Schramm
Wayne Sellers
Neal Spelce
Mónica Talán
Jesse Villarreal
Pic Wagner
Mary Walsh
David Weeks
Judith Zaffirini
Michael Zinberg