Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
College of Human Sciences
Established in 1997 to recognize alumni for remarkable early career achievements
Curtis Cain
MS Educational Administration ’99
PhD Educational Administration ’01
Kansas City, Mo.
Described as “destined for greatness,” Curtis Cain has built an impressive resumé of career accomplishments, scholarly awards, and, above all, service to youth. At a young age, his efforts to augment the quality of curriculum nationwide have enhanced education for students from Seattle to Philadelphia.
Since graduating from ISU with his doctorate in educational administration in 2001, Cain has become a rising star among educational leaders. During his years as director of curriculum and professional development at Park Hill School District (near Kansas City, Mo.), Cain bolstered the educational offerings for students, including implementation of Project Lead the Way—a nationally recognized pre-engineering program for high school students. In his current role as associate superintendent for educational services at Shawnee Mission School District (Overland Park, Kan.), Cain supervises professional development for teachers and administrators, school accreditation reviews, the development of curriculum, examination of assessment results, federal grant management, and special education and gifted programming for more than 27,000 students, as well as the yearly progress of more than 53 school sites.
Cain also serves schools outside the Midwest as a curriculum management auditor. Recognized as an Emerging Leader by Phi Delta Kappa, an Emerging Leader by the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, and a Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals in Education, Cain has continually challenged the notion of traditional education and improved the quality of curriculum for millions of students and administrators nationwide.
He is an ISU Alumni Association annual member.
