Bowie State?s new chancellor offers a background that coincides with growth in academics and enrollment at the university.
Mickey Burnim, chancellor of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, will take over at the beginning of September, replacing Calvin W. Lowe, who steps down June 30 after six years.
While at Elizabeth City State, Burnim helped increase student enrollment by 38 percent since 2001 and increased private fundraising.
His other accomplishments included:
» Establishing the university?s first two endowed professorships and its first three master?s degree programs in elementary education, biology and mathematics;
» Implementing several new baccalaureate degree programs, including marine environmental science, social work, communication studies and pharmaceutical science. Bowie State has been developing a science orientation and is growing.
The school graduated its second education and educational leadership doctoral class in May and earlier this month.
The University of Maryland Board of Regents gave Bowie State initial approval to add a second doctoral program in applied science in computer science.
The school also has received initial approval to begin a master?s program in mental health.
Patricia Pierce Ramsey, Bowie State provost and vice president for academic affairs, who was appointed interim president of the school two weeks ago, had said she expects both new programs to win formal adoption by the board and is interviewing candidates to fill new faculty positions.
She especially noted the significance of the doctoral-level applied computer science program.
“In 2003 ? the last year federal government numbers are available ? only 17 African-Americans nationwide received Ph.D.s in computer [science],” Ramsey said.
The historically black university, established in 1865 and one of the University System of Maryland?s 13 institutions, has seen its enrollment increase each of the past five years. It now has more than 5,800 undergraduate and graduate students.
Since 1996, Burnim has been chancellor of the North Carolina university,a school of 2,600 students that is part of the 16-school University of North Carolina system.
Burnim earned three degrees in economics ? a bachelor?s and master?s from the University of North Texas, and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
He also has held teaching and administrative positions at North Carolina Central University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Florida State University.
Burnim could not be reached for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
