Feb. 26, 2003
University Park, Pa. — John D. "Jack" Burke, senior associate dean, has been recommended for appointment as dean and campus executive officer (CEO) of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Penn State's Board of Trustees will act on the recommendation at its March 21 meeting. Burke has served as interim dean and campus executive officer of Penn State Erie since July 1, 2001, following the appointment of Dr. John Lilley as president of the University of Nevada-Reno.
As the College's chief academic and administrative officer, Burke will be responsible for the quality of Penn State Erie's academic programs in teaching, research, and service, and overall operations of the campus, including strategic planning and budgeting, fund-raising, alumni and community relations, intercollegiate athletics, outreach activities, faculty and staff development and personnel matters.
Burke has been at Penn State Erie since 1981, serving as senior associate provost and senior associate dean. His primary responsibilities included curricular coordination and review, budget planning and resource allocation, academic policy implementation, enrollment management, facilities planning and management, educational technology and computing, and faculty affairs.
In addition, Burke has had responsibility for a wide variety of academic units and services such as Admissions, the Library, the Media and Instructional Support Center, the Honors/Scholars Program, the Learning Resource Center, the Division of Undergraduate Studies, Financial Aid and Study Abroad. He has served on a number of College and University-wide policy committees and has been active in the Erie community. Previously, he served as associate dean at the State University of New York's Empire State College, where he was in charge of academic affairs for the College's Buffalo Regional Center. While serving at Empire State, he was awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Burke has a bachelor's degree in geography from the State University College at Oswego, New York. He earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in geography from the State University of New York at Buffalo. In 1986, he earned a certificate from Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management.
In announcing Burke's appointment, Rodney Erickson, executive vice president and provost of the University, said, "During the 22 years Jack Burke has been at Penn State Erie, he has been a key leader in the development and success of the campus. He has done a superb job as interim dean and CEO. I am certain that Jack will continue to serve with great distinction and with unwavering dedication to the faculty, staff and students of Behrend College and the Erie community."
"I am very happy to have the opportunity to serve the Behrend community in this new capacity," said Dr. Burke. "The college has made remarkable progress as an institution and it is blessed with a very strong and committed faculty and staff with a clear vision of what is possible. It is an honor for me to work with them in moving the institution forward," he said.