Burnim Begins Work as Bowie State's New President
Bowie, Maryland (www.bowiestate.edu) - Bowie State University is proud to welcome the tenth president, Dr. Mickey L. Burnim, who will begin his post on September 1, 2006.
In a 20-minute speech to the faculty, staff, and students during a campus visit last week, Dr. Burnim said "Bowie State University is a wonderful gem and the presidency of this fine institution is a wonderful opportunity for me and LaVera to make a difference in this community."
Dr. Burnim will bring to the BSU presidency more than 30 years of experience in higher education. Prior to accepting the position of president of Bowie State University, Dr. Burnim served as chancellor of Elizabeth City State since July 1, 1996. Under his leadership, he improved operational efficiency by reorganizing the university into four schools: Arts and Humanities; Business and Economics; Education and Psychology; and Mathematics, Science, and Technology. The university expanded its curriculum to include seven new baccalaureate degree programs (including marine environmental science, social work, communication studies, and pharmaceutical science) and implemented the university's first three master's degree programs in elementary education, biology, and mathematics.
These and other enhancements helped to reverse the university's negative enrollment growth trend. Since 2001, student enrollment increased 38 percent. Dr. Burnim also led the university to increase its private fundraising from $60,000 in 1995 to an annual fund total of $2.5 million this year. In addition, Dr. Burnim is credited with initiating new business, civic, and educational partnerships and establishing the university's first two endowed professorships.
Prior to serving as the chancellor of Elizabeth City State University, he served for nearly one year as the university's interim chancellor, provost of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham from 1990 to 1995, and vice chancellor for academic affairs and professor of economics at NCCU from 1986 to 1995. He also has served on the faculties of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Florida State University.
An engaged member of his community, Dr. Burnim has served on several boards and councils including the Wachovia Bank Advisory Board for Elizabeth City, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, The Elizabeth City Salvation Army, and The Elizabeth City Rotary Club. He also is on the Board of Directors of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association having served as its chairman from 2003 to 2005.
Dr. Burnim holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an M.A. and B.A. in economics both from North Texas State University. He and his wife LaVera have two adult children.
Contact: Anne Moultrie
Phone: 301.445.2722
Email: amoultrie@usmd.edu