Press Releases

Category: Press Releases

Author Lynda Barry Brings Gospel of Creativity to Lawrence University Convocation

Award-winning cartoonist and author Lynda Barry brings her message of tapping into your innate creativity to Lawrence University in the convocation “Crossing the Fox River: From Thought to Action.”

The third presentation in the college’s 2012-13 convocation series, Barry’s address on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, is free and open to the public.

Lynda Barry

Barry has enjoyed a 35-year career as a cartoonist that began as an undergraduate at Washington State’s Evergreen State College, where she shared her comic strips with Evergreen classmate Matt Groening, the future creator of the TV hit show “The Simpsons,” who secretly slipped them into the school newspaper.

Along the way, she forged a unique path in the art world. Her weekly comic strip “Ernie Pook’s Comeek,” which ran in alternative newspapers from 1979-2008, is widely credited with expanding the literary, thematic and emotional range of American comics.

A truly multidisciplinary artist, Barry is the author of 18 books, has worked as a commentator for NPR and written monthly features for a numerous magazines, among them Esquire, Mother Jones, Mademoiselle and Salon. She recorded a spoken word album called “The Lynda Barry Experience,” adapted her first novel, “The Good Times are Killing Me,” into an off-Broadway play and has been a guest of David Letterman on his television show numerous times.

A Wisconsin native who makes her home today in rural Rock County, Barry conducts more than a dozen writing workshops a year, including some specifically for non-writers in which she coaxes her students to find that part of the brain where the story-telling talent resides.

Barry has been honored with numerous awards for her work, including two Eisner Awards, which honor creative achievement in American comic books. Her illustrated novel “Cruddy” has been translated into French, Italian, German, Catalan and Hebrew and her book “One! Hundred! Demons!” was required reading in 2008 for all incoming Stanford University freshmen.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Retired Lawrence University Physicist Receives National Recognition for Contributions to Science Education

David Cook, professor emeritus of physics at Lawrence University, has been elected a Fellow in the American Physical Society for his contributions to physics education in America.

The fellowship program recognizes members who have made “exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise through outstanding physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics or significant contributions to physics education.”  Fellow selection represents significant recognition by one’s professional peers and is highly selective, limited to no more than one-half of one percent of the organization’s more than 50,000 members.

Professor Emeritus David Cook

Cook, who retired as Philetus E. Sawyer Professor of Science in 2008 after 43 years of teaching in the Lawrence physics department, joins his long-time colleague Professor Emeritus John Brandenberger as the only two physicists at Lawrence ever honored as a Fellow by the APS.

In announcing his Fellow status, the APS cited Cook for “the prominent roles he has played in developing and disseminating outstanding computational elements for undergraduate physics courses, in building an exemplary undergraduate physics program and in executive leadership of the American Association of Physics Teachers.”

“Professor Cook has long been a leader in physics education,” said David Burrows, provost and dean of the faculty. “He combines a friendly supportive manner with an insistence on high standards of achievement and tireless energy. He helped build the physics department at Lawrence into an outstanding model for scholarship and teaching at liberal learning institutions.”

Cook served as president of the American Association of Physics Teachers, the country’s premier national organization and authority on physics and physical science education, in 2010, becoming the first Lawrence faculty member ever to serve in that capacity and the first from any Wisconsin college or university since 1955.

During his more-than-four decade teaching career at Lawrence, Cook taught nearly every undergraduate physics course while leading the development and incorporation of computers into the physics curriculum. Beginning in 1985, he designed and built Lawrence’s computational physics laboratory with the support of more than $1 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, Research Corporation, the W. M. Keck Foundation and other sources.

Cook is the author of two textbooks, “The Theory of the Electromagnetic Field,” one of the first to introduce computer-based numerical approaches alongside traditional approaches and “Computation and Problem Solving in Undergraduate Physics.” He was recognized with Lawrence’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1990.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Teaching Tolerance: Film, Discussion Examines Jamie Nabozny’s Bullied Childhood

As part of a community-wide diversity initiative to raise awareness and appreciation for all members of our community, Lawrence University will host a screening of the 2010 movie “Bullied,” followed by an in-person presentation/discussion led by the focus of the film, Jamie Nabozny.

Anti-bullying advocate Jamie Nabozny

The event, Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center, is free and open to the public.

The film chronicles the verbal and physical harassment suffered by Nabozny as an Ashland, Wis., student because he was gay. After years of being targeted by bullies, including a beating that sent him to the hospital for abdominal surgery, Nabozny fought  back through the court system. He eventually won a precedent-setting landmark lawsuit against the school district in federal court. The historic case was the first legal challenge to antigay violence in public schools.

Named a “Defender of Human Rights” by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Nabozny travels the country speaking out on behalf of other marginalized students and issues of bullying.

Nabozny’s presentation is the first of two public presentations he will make in conjunction with 20 others at schools throughout the Fox Cities in the coming weeks as part of a four-month community initiative entitled “INCLUDE: Embracing the LGBT Community in the Fox Valley.”  The program will be publicly announced at a community breakfast Jan. 23 at downtown Appleton’s Radisson Paper Valley Hotel.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration Focuses on “Building a Just World”

Rev. Wanda Washington, founding pastor of Grace United Church of Christ in Milwaukee, makes an encore appearance as the keynote speaker at the 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr., community celebration of the late civil rights leader Monday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.  The event is free and open to the public.

Rev. Wanda Washington

Presented by Lawrence University and Toward Community: Unity in Diversity, with the support of numerous Fox Valley organizations, churches, and individuals, this year’s celebration features the theme “Building a Just World.” The Post-Crescent and The Avenue 91.1 are media sponsors of the event.

“Lawrence University is pleased and honored to once again welcome the Fox Cities community to Memorial Chapel for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. event,” said Nancy Truesdell, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “Our students, faculty and staff will spend the day engaged in service projects and small group book discussions that will culminate in the evening celebration focused on the topic of building a just world. It remains so important that members of our community come together to remember the work and teachings of Dr. King so that his message of social justice and peace is carried on through young and old alike.”

Washington, who also delivered the 2010 MLK Jr. celebration keynote address, will use the movie “Shawshank Redemption” as a backdrop for this year’s remarks entitled “Hope is a Dangerous Thing.”  She will discuss the importance of “tunneling through today’s challenges” and always remaining hopeful no matter how difficult a situation may be.

Called to the Ministry

Born and raised in Chicago, Washington spent 20 years as a special education teacher in Illinois, working with deaf-blind students at the Philip J. Rock Center. In 1986, she left her position as educational supervisor to accept a call to ministry, enrolling in the Chicago Theological Seminary where she earned a Master’s of Divinity degree.

Ordained in 1993, Washington served as associate pastor and director of pastoral services at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ for 13 years, assisting families with funeral services, participating in weekly worship services, including preaching in the absence of the senior pastor and supervising more than 100 “ministers in training” who were attending seminary.

Washington followed another call in the spring of 2006, moving to Milwaukee to tackle the challenge of starting a new church. She became the founding pastor of Grace United Church of Christ, a position she held until retiring in 2012 and moving to Indianapolis to be near her grandchildren.

In addition to her divinity degree, Washington earned a bachelor’s degree from MacMurray College and a master’s degree from Ohio State University.

“The life and legacy of Dr. King challenges each and every one of us to help build a more just and peaceful world in our communities, workplaces, neighborhoods and families,” said Kathy Flores, chair of the MLK Planning Committee and diversity coordinator for the city of Appleton. “Rev. Washington returns by popular demand and I expect she’ll deliver another rousing, inspiring and thoughtful message. Like Dr. King, Rev. Washington has used her ministry as a voice to help build a just world.”

Annual Diversity Award

As part of the celebration, Toward Community will present its annual Jane LaChapelle McCarty Unity in Diversity Award, which recognizes an area individual who has made great strides in bringing different people in the community together. Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna was the 2012 recipient.

Four area students will be recognized as winners of the annual Martin Luther King essay contest and will read their winning entries while Lawrence junior Zoie Reams and university organist Kathrine Hanford will provide musical performances.

This year’s celebration also will feature a special tribute honoring Dr. G. Manns, a local pastor, community leader and long-time volunteer in the annual MLK celebration, who passed away Jan. 8.

A tireless advocate for racial and social justice, children and all marginalized people in the community, Manns was the founder and senior pastor of Appleton Sanctuary Outreach Ministries. She founded and served as CEO of B.A.B.E.S. Respite & Counseling Services, a child abuse prevention program that provides support for young parents. She was a founding member of Toward Community: Unity in Diversity, worked with African Heritage, Inc. and was a past board member of Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs.

A sign language interpreter will be present for the program and a reception for all in attendance will be held following the event.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Lawrence Dance Series Features World Premiere by Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak

Chicago-based choreographer Molly Shanahan and her Mad Shak Dance Company presents the world premiere of “The Delicate Hour” Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. in the Lawrence University Warch Campus Center.  The performance, the third in Lawrence’s 2011-13 dance series, is free and open to the public.

The work is the latest iteration of the company’s multi-year project “Stamina of Curiosity” and a “movement sequel” to the critically-acclaimed “Sharks Before Drowning.” The work’s title, “The Delicate Hour,” was inspired by Shanahan’s attempt to describe the haunting hour of sunset she experienced during a 2010 artist residency in Pennsylvania.

In addition to the performance, Shanahan and Mad Shak company members Kristina Fluty, Benjamin Law and Jessie Marasa, will spend the week (Jan. 14-18) working with Lawrence students.

“I can’t wait to have Molly and the rest of the MadShak Dance Company in residence at Lawrence and to share their performance of ‘The Delicate Hour’ with the Lawrence and Appleton communities,” said Rebecca Salzer, visiting professor of dance. “The members of this company are highly respected teachers and insightful, intelligent dance-makers. They bring a depth of knowledge and craft that will undoubtedly wow both students and audiences.”

A native of Canada and a member of the dance faculty at Northwestern University, Shanahan founded Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak in 1994. She was named a 2007 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist for the creation of “My Name is a Blackbird,” for which she was awarded a 2008 Choreographic Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council.  In 2010, Shanahan received the Meier Achievement Award from the Helen Coburn Meier and Tim Meier Charitable Foundation for the Arts.  Her work has been performed at venues throughout North America.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Panel of Lawrence Scholars Examine Constitutional Issues Faced by President Lincoln

Jerald Podair

A three-member panel of scholars will discuss constitutional issues presented by the Civil War Thursday, Jan. 10 at 4:30 p.m. in  Lawrence University’s Wriston Art Center auditorium. The program will include a question-and-answer session with the audience.

The presentation is in conjunction with the 1,000-square-foot traveling exhibit “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” that is on display in Lawrence’s Seeley G. Mudd Library until Feb. 8. Both the panel presentation and the exhibition are free and open to the public.

Arnold Shober

Participating in the discussion will be Lawrence faculty members Jerald Podair, professor of history and Robert S. French Professor of American Studies, and Arnold Shober, associate professor of government. Joining them will be 1981 Lawrence graduate James Cornelius, curator of the Lincoln Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, Ill.

James Cornelius ’81

The panel will examine a variety of topics, among them:

• What the words “all men are created equal” meant in the Declaration of Independence, what they meant to Jefferson Davis and his fellow Confederates and how did Lincoln interpret the word “equal?”

• Was secession constitutional?

• How did Lincoln and Jefferson Davis reflect clashing understandings of the nature of the “more perfect Union” established by the Constitution?

• Did the Constitution form an unbreakable “contract” with the American people or a revocable “compact” between sovereign states?

• How did the stresses of civil war erode civil liberties in the United States?

• How did Lincoln balance national security and personal freedom during the Civil War, especially with regard to Northern critics of the war?

• Was Lincoln an extraconstitutional “tyrant,” as his political enemies argued?

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

 

 

Wild Space Dance Company Bringing “Luscious Layers” to Lawrence University

Weaving together nature, music, prose and a generous helping of humor, members of Milwaukee-based Wild Space Dance Company present “Luscious Layers/Fevered Sleep” Friday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. in Lawrence University’s Stansbury Theatre.

 Tickets, at $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and students, are available through the Lawrence University Box Office, 420 E. College Ave., Appleton, 920-832-6749.

The performance features Wild Space affiliate artists Monica Rodero and Daniel Schuchart, and vocalist/performer Amanda Schoofs in an evening of original work and premieres.

“Luscious Layers” fuses the sweet and forbidden, dreamy desires and tempting realities into full-bodied dances, including “In This Condition,” a solo piece about objects, actions and places that flows from spoken word to Mozart through movement, and “Here,” a duet blending dance and vocals.

Wild Space Dance Company has served as a company-in-residence at Lawrence since 2000, bringing professional dance to the Lawrence community and providing students principles of dance art in performance through classes and workshops taught by artistic director Debra Loewen and members of her company.

Named 2011 Artist of the Year by the Milwaukee Arts Board, Loewen has led Wild Space Dance Company for 25 years. Known for its site-specific dance events and artistic collaborations, the company merges dance with visual art, architecture and music to create inventive choreography and emotionally-charged performances. It has toured performance work to Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, South Korea and Japan.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Lawrence Commemorates Emancipation Proclamation’s 150th Anniversary with Music, Presentations

In honor of the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Jan. 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, Lawrence University presents a series of Civil War-related events.  All are free and open to the public.

Faith Barrett
 Monday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m., Harper Hall.  Lawrence Associate Professor of English Faith Barrett discusses the origins of Julia Ward Howe’s Civil War classic “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Following the presentation, a short vocal concert celebrating African-American and Civil War-era music will be performed by 2007 Lawrence graduates Paris Brown and Erica Hamilton and sophomore Brienne Colston.

Erin Dix
 Tuesday,  Jan. 8, 4:30 p.m., Mudd Library, 1st floor, south end. Lawrence archivist Erin Dix presents “Lawrence in the Civil War,” an exploration of the ways in which Lawrence faculty and students participated on the front lines and coped with the effects of the war at home.  At the start of the Civil War, Lawrence was a mere 14 years old and like other academic institutions at the time, was greatly affected by the war.

Bill Carrothers
 Wednesday Jan. 9, 8 p.m., Harper Hall.  Bill Carrothers, Lawrence lecturer in music and jazz pianist, presents “Civil War Diaries,” a performance of period music from the Civil War era, reinterpreted as solo piano improvisations.

Lawrence is currently hosting a traveling exhibition that examines how President Abraham Lincoln used the U.S. Constitution to confront three intertwined crises of the Civil War: the secession of Southern states, slavery and wartime civil liberties.

The 1,000-square-foot exhibit, “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,” is displayed on the second floor of Lawrence’s Seeley G. Mudd Library until Feb. 8. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

The exhibition is composed of informative panels featuring photographic reproductions of original documents, including the Emancipation Proclamation, a draft of Lincoln’s first inaugural speech and the Thirteenth Amendment.  It was organized by the  National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office and is supported by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Lawrence Pianist Michael Mizrahi earns “Best of 2012” Honors for his Album “The Bright Motion”

Lawrence University Assistant Professor of Music Michael Mizrahi ended the year in style. His album, “The Bright Motion”, was cited by both Time Out New York and Time Out Chicago on their annual list of best albums of 2012.

Pianist Michael Mizrahi

Released last May on New Amsterdam Records, “The Bright Motion” was listed eighth on Time Out New York’s 2012 list of the best opera and classical music of the past year, while Time Out Chicago included it on its year-end, non-numerical top-10 list of the year’s best opera and classical music albums.

The Bright Motion” features 10-tracks of newly composed works for solo piano written specifically for Mizrahi by some of today’s most innovative composers, including William Brittelle, Ryan Brown and John Mayrose.

The video of the album’s title track by Mark Dancigers made its debut on National Public Radio’s “Deceptive Cadence,” which hailed it as “a meditation on quietude amidst unceasing movement, a thick-walled cell of solitary contentment in the churn of daily life.” The video was also highlighted as the “Video of the Day” on Alex Ross’ blog, “The Rest is Noise.”

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Lawrence University Names Princeton University EVP the College’s 16th President

The Lawrence University Board of Trustees has named Mark Burstein, executive vice president of Princeton University, the college’s 16th president.

Burstein takes office July 1, 2013, succeeding Jill Beck, who is retiring June 30 after nine years as the college’s president. She was appointed the first female president in Lawrence’s 165-year history in 2004.

“I was drawn to Lawrence’s rigorous academic environment, its commitment to providing an individualized learning experience to all students and its unique combination of a strong liberal arts education with a nationally-recognized conservatory of music,” said Burstein.

President-elect Mark Burstein
President-elect Mark Burstein

“Through the dedication of its faculty, Lawrence provides an educational experience that literally changes lives, setting its graduates on a trajectory of success and continued exploration. I’m looking forward to working with colleagues to ensure Lawrence’s tradition of excellence. I am thrilled to be joining an institution with a history of storied presidents, including my two immediate predecessors, Jill Beck and Richard Warch.”

Terry Franke, chair of the Lawrence University Board of Trustees, cited Burstein’s breadth of leadership and deep higher education experience across multiple institutions among the reasons he stood out from more than 100 candidates identified by national search firm Isaacson, Miller, which assisted the college’s own search committee.

“Along with my fellow Trustees, I am delighted to welcome Mark to Lawrence University,” said Franke, a 1968 Lawrence graduate. “Mark brings with him a unique set of experiences in public service, finance, consulting as well as leadership with two of the country’s most prestigious educational institutions. This background positions him to be a great leader and president. We are very impressed by Mark’s collaborative style of leadership, in addition to the depth of his operational and management expertise.

“Mark has an affinity and passion for the academic mission of the liberal arts and embraces the transformative experience for Lawrence students as they prepare for their future,” Franke added. “His liberal arts experience at Vassar and now his Board service at Vassar provide him a unique perspective on the liberal arts. We have every confidence that Mark will lead Lawrence to future greatness, building on the momentum and innovation of President Jill Beck.”

Dale Schuh, who served as chair of a 15-person committee consisting of trustees, faculty members, representatives of the student body, alumni and administrative staff that conducted an extensive national search, said Burstein was the unanimous recommendation of the search committee.

“Mark has a distinctive combination of talents and experience that jumped out immediately from the candidate pool,” said Schuh, a 1970 Lawrence graduate. “He understands the liberal arts and the residential college experience plus brings broad experience in operations, finance and strategic institutional planning to the table. He’s smart, engaging, thoughtful, respectful, articulate and self-assured without being arrogant. I’m confident we have found an exceptional leader for Lawrence.”

Ivy League Connections

Burstein, 51, brings a strong Ivy League connection along with an extensive background in higher education leadership, government service, investment banking and consulting to Lawrence.

Named executive vice president at Princeton in 2004, Burstein led efforts to enhance campus life and modernize the university’s operations and infrastructure. His responsibilities include overseeing a $200 million budget and a staff of 1,800 in the areas of student life, public safety, university audit and compliance, human resources and facilities.

He played a prominent role in developing priorities for a $1.88 billion fundraising campaign and assisted in securing gifts to support academic initiatives, campus life and athletics.

Among Burstein’s recent accomplishments:

  • Creating an award-winning master plan for Princeton’s 500-acre campus and establishing a real estate strategy for the university
  • Drafting a sustainability plan for Princeton that integrates teaching and research with administrative initiatives
  • Launching, with the Dean of the College, a four year residential college system
  • Developing, with colleagues, initiatives in diversity, wellness and childcare to improve campus culture

He also played lead roles in managing various trustee committees and served as chair of numerous university committees including ones that manage efforts to increase efficiency across academic and administrative departments, that strengthen the university’s safety environment and risk management efforts, and that integrate fundraising, budget and facilities issues for the athletic department. Burstein is presently teaching in Princeton’s freshman seminar program.

Search Committee Chair Dale Schuh ’70, President-elect Mark Burstein and Board of Trustees Chair Terry Franke ’68

“It is a great pleasure to welcome my colleague Mark Burstein into the ranks of university and college presidents and to congratulate Lawrence University on a wonderful choice,” said Princeton President Shirley Tilghman. “Mark has been a stellar leader as Executive Vice President at Princeton. He combines a deep commitment to the liberal arts, forged during his undergraduate education at Vassar College, with extensive experience as a senior administrator at Columbia and Princeton. There is no aspect of university life that has not benefited from his stewardship. He will be greatly missed at Princeton.”

Prior to joining Princeton’s executive team, Burstein spent 10 years at Columbia University in several senior positions: first as acting vice president of human resources, then as the university’s first vice president of student services and, his last five years there, as vice president of facilities management. During his tenure at Columbia, Burstein developed a plan for a new campus located in Harlem, acquired more than $250 million of real estate for academic development, oversaw $1 billion in construction, provided financial, health, housing, registrar and retail services to a 20,000-student community and directed benefits, compensation and labor relations for the institution.

“I believe a liberal arts education provides an excellent foundation for future success and is the most effective way to ensure that social mobility continues in American society,” Burstein said.  “Education has been the cornerstone of my career – just as a Lawrence education has allowed its alumni to thrive in their chosen professions.  Given the challenges that face society today, I expect the value of a liberal arts education and specifically the Lawrence experience will only increase in the years ahead.”

Earlier in his career, Burstein helped found New York City’s recycling program as a senior leader in the sanitation department, and funded moderate income housing as an associate in the public finance department of Bear, Stearns & Company.  He also worked with clients on strategy and organizational development initiatives as a consultant at the Center for Applied Research in Philadelphia.

A native of Cedar Grove, N.J., Burstein earned a bachelor of arts degree in history and independent studies at Vassar College, where he was awarded the Catlin Prize for outstanding contributions to the college community.  He earned a master of business administration degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he was a Henry and Marcelle Morgenthau fellow.

Burstein has served as a member of the Vassar Board of Trustees since 2009 and recently served on the New York City Mayor’s Applied Sciences Advisory Board.  He spent two years as chair of the board of directors of the Victory Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based national political action committee.

Burstein will be joined in Appleton by his spouse David Calle, who is the Global Chief Financial Officer of Unilever’s Food Solutions business.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.