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
