Burke to Delay Retirement Until 2010
This week, John D. “Jack” Burke, chancellor of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, announced a change in his retirement date—from June 30, 2009 to June 30, 2010.
“Delaying retirement by one year permits more time for an orderly transition and avoids a change in leadership during what have become very tumultuous and uncertain financial times for the higher education community,” Burke said. “There are a number of things still on my plate that I need to see through to fruition, including several building projects and organizational changes that will help deal with the rapid growth and development that Penn State Behrend has experienced.”
This was a mutually agreed upon decision between Burke and John Romano, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses, who is located at Penn State University Park. “Jack has been a stellar academic administrator and leader of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and I am delighted to have his continued and valuable service for another year,” Romano said.
From the onset of his retirement announcement in August 2008, Burke has indicated his willingness to stay on after June 30, 2009, should the search for his replacement not be finalized at that point.
The search for Burke’s replacement will resume in fall 2009, with the expectation that a successor will be made effective July 1, 2010. For more information about Burke’s tenure at Penn State Behrend, visit www.behrend.psu.edu/newscal/news2008/aug-burke.htm online.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is a comprehensive residential college offering 34 baccalaureate, six associate, four pre-professional and two graduate degree programs with 22 minors to more than 4,600 students. Focused on providing a student-centered environment, Penn State Behrend is the link that connects its students to a major research and land-grant institution on a campus enriched by more than 110 clubs and organizations, 21 NCAA varsity teams and 19 intramural sports.
Penn State Behrend is named in recognition of a donation by Mary Behrend, widow of Ernst Behrend, who founded the Hammermill Paper Co. in Erie in 1898. The Behrend family lived on the 400-acre Glenhill Farm, which is the core of the Penn State Behrend campus today.
For more information, visit behrend.psu.edu.