Chancellor Porter recognized as an innovative leader

Penn State Greater Allegheny Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter was selected by Talk Magazine as a 2013 Pennsylvania Distinguished College/University President.

According to Luther Sewell, publisher of Talk Magazine, Porter was selected for his ?commitment, dedication and for accepting the tremendous responsibility of nurturing and educating the future leaders and citizens of our state and nation.?

?Our choices of Distinguished Presidents are a group of innovative leaders that have solidified their stellar positions among the Pennsylvania colleges and universities by their commitment to expansion and innovation in academic programs and state-of- the-art housing and educational facilities,? said Sewell in the Spring 2013 issue.

For Porter, a Braddock, Pa native, becoming the chancellor at Penn State Greater Allegheny meant returning home.  It also meant coming back to lead the institution where he completed his first two years of college.

Prior to his appointment with Penn State, Porter was the interim director of the Stamford Campus of the University of Connecticut. Under his leadership, the Stamford Campus experienced a 41 percent increase in freshman admissions.

Porter has held academic positions at California State University at Long Beach and the University of Pittsburgh. At Pittsburgh, he established and gained accreditation for the Department of Black Community Education, Research and Development (now Africana Studies) within the College of Arts and Sciences.

Porter served as vice president for the National Urban League headquartered in New York City. He was responsible for the operational strategies for 134 Urban League affiliates throughout the United States. He is happy to bring this practical business orientation to academia and the leadership of Penn State Greater Allegheny.

Porter earned his bachelor of arts degree in English writing and his doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He received the YWCA's 2010 Racial Justice Award in the category of Education.