Deni Elliott

Deni Elliott holds the Eleanor Poynter Jamison Chair in Media Ethics and is professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida. She is Co-Project Officer for the National Ethics Project and serves as the elected public member on the American Psychological Association Ethics Committee.

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 (1988-1992) and Associate Research Professor, Department of Education (1988-1992). Dr. Elliott’s first tenure-track appointment was at Utah State University. She was awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Mass Communication three years after completing her graduate degree. Dr. Elliott became a full professor and was awarded her first endowed chair eight years after completing her graduate degree.

Along with other work in practical ethics, Deni Elliott analyzes ethics and policy related to service dogs. She taught a graduate seminar in dog law and ethics for 12 years and served on Guiding Eyes for the Blind Graduate Council for 3 years. Dr. Elliott's forthcoming book on interdependency in guide dog relationships is in process.

Dr. Elliott’s publications have spanned the disciplines of practical ethics. She is the author of more than 200 articles and book chapters for the scholarly, trade and lay press. Her books (for which she was sole or principal author or editor) include 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), Journalism Ethics: Contemporary Issues, (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 documentaries (all distributed by Fanlight Productions): The Burden of Knowledge, on ethical questions of prenatal testing, and A Case of Need and Buying Time, which address ethical issues of news media bringing about extraordinary medical care. From February, 2003-June, 2006, Dr. Elliott co-hosted Ethically Speaking, a weekly 2-minute radio show syndicated through PRX (Public Radio Exchange).

Elliott holds a B.A. in Communication from University of Maryland, M.A. in Philosophy from Wayne State University and an interdisciplinary Ed.D. in Philosophy of Education from Harvard University with work at the Kennedy School of Government, Department of Philosophy, and Harvard Law School, and Graduate School of Education. Sissela Bok, Lawrence Kohlberg, Martin Linsky, and Israel Scheffler served as her doctoral examination committee members.