A pdf version of this biography is available here.
Deni Elliott is professor emeritus in the Department of Journalism and Digital Communication at the University of South Florida. She held the endowed Eleanor Poynter Jamison Chair in Media Ethics and Press Policy from 2003-2023. During her two decades at USF, she also served as Interim Regional Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs (2021-2022) department chair (2012-2018), and campus ombuds (2004-2017).
Deni continues to write and consult on ethical issues, with a primary focus on disability and service dogs. She continues to serve as co-director of the National Ethics Project with Cara Biasucci, who is Director of Ethics Education for the Center for Leadership and Ethics at The University of Texas at Austin. The National Ethics Project was an 8-year multi-disciplinary, multi-campus research project that included full population studies as well as specific campus analyses of US ethics education in higher education. Findings from that research are available on the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics website.
Deni’s prior academic appointments include University of Montana: Mansfield Professor of Ethics and Public Affairs (1992-1996), University Professor of Ethics (1996-2004), Professor of Philosophy (1992-2004), and Founding Director, Practical Ethics Center (1996-2004); Dartmouth College: Director, Ethics Institute (1988-1992), Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and Associate Research Professor, Department of Education. Deni was an initial recipient of Dartmouth’s Rockefeller Fellowship in Professional Ethics (1987-88). Deni’s first tenure-track appointment was in Utah State University’s Department of Mass Communication (1984-1988) with an adjunct appointment in the Department of Philosophy. She served as Ethics Officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (2004-2012).
Deni is the author of more than 200 articles and book chapters for the scholarly, trade and lay press. Her name appears as an author or editor on the covers of the following books: CATCHING SIGHT, how a guide dog helped me see myself (Beacon Press, 2026); Ethics for a Digital Era (Wiley/Blackwell, 2018); Ethical Challenges: Building an Ethics Toolkit (Authorhouse, 2009); Ethics in the First Person, A Guide to Teaching and Learning Practical Ethics (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007); The Kindness of Strangers, Philanthropy in Higher Education (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006); Contemporary Issues: Journalism (ABC-CLIO, 1998); Ethics of Scientific Research, A Guidebook for Course Development (UPNE, 1997); Research Ethics: A Reader (UPNE, 1997); The Ethics of Asking: Dilemmas in Higher Education Fundraising (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996); and Responsible Journalism (SAGE, 1986). She has also co-produced three video-documentaries distributed by Fanlight Productions: The Burden of Knowledge: Moral Dilemmas in Prenatal Testing; A Case of Need, Media Coverage and Organ Transplants; and Buying Time: The Media Role in Health Care. Deni wrote and co-hosted Ethically Speaking (2003-2006) with Producer Dean Ritz, a weekly 2-minute radio show for Montana Public Radio. Some episodes were syndicated through PRX (Public Radio Exchange).
Deni holds a B.A. in Communication from University of Maryland, M.A. in Philosophy from Wayne State University and an Ed.D. in Philosophy of Education from Harvard University. Her study at Harvard included coursework in Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Department of Philosophy and Law School in addition to the Graduate School of Education. Professors Sissela Bok, Lawrence Kohlberg, Marty Linsky, and Israel Scheffler served as her doctoral committee members.