Marygrove College Appoints Alumna as President

DETROIT, Jan. 19, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Marygrove College announced that the institution’s Board of Trustees has unanimously approved Dr. Elizabeth Burns as the new President of the college. Dr. Burns is succeeding Interim President Dr. James F. Birge.

“I am honored to serve as the President of the College,” said Dr. Burns, whose appointment became effective January 18, 2016. “I look forward to working with the faculty and staff to ensure our students receive a quality education.”

“Dr. Burns is a strong and logical choice to take the reins of the school,” said former Interim President Birge. “Not only does she have a distinguished record as an administrator and educator in higher education, her work as a member of the board at Marygrove College and her role as Interim Provost have been instrumental to the success of the college.”

Burns, an alumna of Marygrove, has a long and distinguished career in higher education. Before becoming Interim Provost of Marygrove in June, she served as Associate Dean for Faculty and Clinical Affairs and DIO at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo. Immediately prior to that, she served four years as President and CEO of the Michigan State University Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies. She recently rotated off the Marygrove Board of Trustees after 10 years of service.  

After earning her B.S. magna cum laude from Marygrove, Dr. Burns went on to earn an M. D. degree from the University of Michigan and an M. A. from the University of Iowa College of Education, Division of Instructional Design and Technology, Health Sciences Education.  

Following a two-year RWJ Foundation fellowship in Academic Family Medicine, Burns began her faculty career at the University of Iowa College of Medicine where she served a total of 11 years in a variety of administrative roles. She then served eight years at the University of Illinois at Chicago as Department Head in Family Medicine before re-joining the faculty. Following that she joined the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Grand Forks; there, she served as Department Chair and Center Director for a National Center of Excellence in the Women’s Health Demonstration Project. She completed the American Council on Education/Bishop Fellowship in higher education leadership in 2005. In 2008, she moved to her position at the MSU Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies. 

ABOUT MARYGROVE COLLEGE
Founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in 1905, Marygrove College is an independent liberal arts college and a Catholic institution of higher learning. The college’s commitment to the city of Detroit comprises an institutional mission and vision for developing urban leaders. The main campus is situated on 53 wooded acres in northwest Detroit.

8425 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI 48221
Web site: www.marygrove.edu

CONTACT:
Erin Piscopink
Phone: 313-927-1438
Email: [email protected]