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November 2008
Meet Kathleen Burke:
By Julia Parmley Growing up, Kathleen Burke, dean of GW’s College of Professional Studies, spent her summers at her family’s small cottage on Tybee Island in Georgia. Her parents decided against having a television or a phone in the house, but Dr. Burke did not mind—she had her books. “Reading was as much a part of my young life as the waves and sand,” says Dr. Burke. “My brothers and I were regulars at the local one-room library. We read everything we could get our hands on. I was always interested in reading, writing, and the power of ideas that transform people’s lives. Time and again growing up in a fairly remote part of the country, I saw the powerful effects of education—or the lack of it—on people’s well-being.” Over the past 35 years, Dr. Burke has shared her passion for knowledge and education as a teacher, writer, researcher, dean, and executive at schools and organizations around the country. “The College of Professional Studies is already doing what I’ve spent my life doing as well—reaching people who want higher education but who may be, for one reason or another, left out of the traditional system,” says Dr. Burke, who assumed the helm of the college on Oct. 20. “Former Dean Roger Whitaker took the University’s excellent programs on the road and went to where people live—here in D.C., as well as in Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria, and Hampton Roads. I will certainly continue that approach and explore others, including greater use of technology to create and deliver courses and programs.” Dr. Burke comes to GW most recently from IBM, where she worked as a higher education consultant. Her mobile office required the ability to work from home and on the road—a work environment that she says is becoming increasingly prevalent and one for which the College of Professional Studies needs to prepare students. She has firsthand experience crafting online curricula. After an early career with IBM in the 1980s while completing her doctorate, Dr. Burke returned to teaching in 1996. At the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) she served as assistant professor of English and moved quickly into administration. She helped to create a multimedia online curriculum for arts and humanities students, designing courses in her specialization and working with faculty to bring their specializations online. As assistant dean for distance education, she oversaw UMUC’s online bachelor’s degree program, developing interactive courses and online textbooks. “While I was at UMUC, many of my students told me that they would never have been able to go to college without our programs. It was very meaningful work,” she says. Dr. Burke continued developing and implementing technological initiatives and programs for special populations of students as associate dean for undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, and as founding dean of the Division of Continuing Education and Public Service at Georgia Southern University. She also held positions as vice president for adult and continuing education at Marymount University and dean of the School of Professional Studies at Trinity University. Dr. Burke’s pioneering professional spirit is reflected in her life experience. A member of Loyola College’s first coeducational class in 1971, Dr. Burke helped create the school’s first women’s basketball team and says she and her fellow female classmates “forged the way” for women’s athletic teams and organizations. Dr. Burke also played college tennis and was a member of the crew team at Saint Hilda’s College at Oxford University, where she earned a master’s degree in English language and literature. She received a doctorate in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Burke and her husband, Edward Meyers, are longtime Washingtonians. They enjoy the cultural life of D.C., attending performances at the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, and the Woolly Mammoth Theatre. They can also be seen taking regular walks in their Hawthorne neighborhood with their 18-month-old yellow Labrador, Belli. At GW, Dr. Burke wants the College of Professional Studies faculty and staff to think creatively about the best ways to prepare students for today’s world. She is especially interested in innovative coursework that will expand professionals’ understanding of the world of work and draw closer connections between research and application. “GW is a national and regional leader in creating and applying new knowledge,” she says. “The College of Professional Studies is a key component in disseminating this knowledge and in broadening its impact in the region. “I look forward to working with Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald Lehman, President Steven Knapp, and my fellow deans, as well as the College of Professional Studies faculty and staff,” she continues. “I guess you could say I’m ‘psyched’ for the great adventure that lies ahead.”
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