Dr. Mickey Burnim
President
Bowie State University

Dr. Mickey L. Burnim, a native of Teague, Texas became the tenth President of Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland on September 1, 2006. Prior to arriving at Bowie State University, Dr. Burnim served as chancellor for eleven years at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) and was the eighth chief executive officer of ECSU. Dr. Burnim ushered in an era of qualitative improvement and growth at the Elizabeth City State University. He led the development of a comprehensive strategic plan; initiated new business, civic and educational partnerships; established the university’s first two endowed professorships; led in the establishment of the university’s first three master’s degree programs in elementary education, biology, and mathematics; implemented several new baccalaureate degree programs, including marine environmental science, social work, communication studies, graphic design, aviation science, and pharmaceutical science. In fall 2005, under his leadership, the Elizabeth City State University implemented a joint pharmacy program in partnership with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Dr. Burnim has also led the development of a campus computer network, and has established strong fiscal integrity.

To improve operational efficiency, Dr. Burnim is credited for having reorganized the university into four schools: Arts and Humanities; Business and Economics; Education and Psychology; and Mathematics, Science, and Technology. Additionally, he has directed the development of a comprehensive enrollment management and marketing plan, which, in fall 2005, yielded for the third consecutive year the highest enrollment in the university’s history. In 2001, he began the oversight of the largest construction and renovation project ($46.3 million) ever undertaken at ECSU, including the construction of a physical education/field house facility, a student center, and a new residence hall. In 2004, he celebrated the opening of the university’s first privatized student housing facility.

Dr. Burnim is an economist having earned three degrees in economics -- a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree from The University of North Texas, and a Ph.D. from The University of Wisconsin at Madison. His fields of specialization are public finance and labor economics. Dr. Burnim has written papers and published several scholarly articles in these areas.

Prior to joining Elizabeth City State University, Dr. Burnim served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at North Carolina Central University. Earlier in his career, he worked as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs in the General Administration of The University of North Carolina; as a staff economist at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and as a faculty member and researcher at The Florida State University.

Dr. Burnim serves on several local boards, including the Elizabeth City branch of the Wachovia Advisory Board, Elizabeth City Chamber of Commerce, Elizabeth City Rotary Club, Salvation Army, and Albemarle Economic Development Commission. Nationally, he serves on the NAFEO Board of Directors, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Board of Directors, the American Council on Education – Commission on Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity, and the System and Computer Technology (SCT) Executive Advisory Council. Recently, he accepted an appointment from Executive Council of the Commission on Colleges to serve on the Principles Review Committee, which is charged to study the Commission’s current standards. Dr. Burnim is the immediate past chairman of the Board of Directors for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

Dr. Burnim and his wife, the former LaVera Levels, have two adult children and three grandchildren.