Media contact: Beth Pullias, 703-993-4722, bpullias@gmu.edu
Fairfax, Va. –Annie Hunt Burriss will join George Mason University as the executive officer for the Prince William campus at George Mason University in Manassas, Va. effective Oct. 12.
Burriss comes to Mason from the Georgia Health Sciences University (GHSU) in Augusta, Ga. where she served on the President’s Cabinet from 2007 to present as special assistant to the president and director of economic development. Burriss played a crucial role during the past five years in the expansion of Georgia’s public medical education by advising senior administrators on strategies and execution of a distributed education model for four satellite campuses across the state.
In addition, she was appointed to a number of leadership roles including the University System of Georgia Chancellor’s Research Development Steering Committee, gubernatorial appointments to the Georgia Medical Center Authority and Technical College System of Georgia state board as well as the mayor’s Augusta Arts Alliance Initiative.
Annie Hunt Burriss
“We are honored to have Annie join the Mason family,” said Mason Provost Peter Stearns. “With her years of experience in business and in economic development, she will be an asset at the Prince William campus.”
Burriss was named one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians by Georgia Trend magazine five times. She is known for distinctive leadership roles and records of achievement in Georgia’s academic, business, government and non-profit sectors.
She was nationally recognized for pioneering a state university system economic development initiative, and led successful start-ups of four 501(c) 3 corporations, as well as a 501(c) 4 corporation that received accolades for generating some $3 billion in savings to the State of Georgia through applications of sound business practices to state operations.
“I am excited about joining George Mason University, a global academic model for innovative public-private partnerships, and in particular, Mason’s Prince William campus. Mason’s location and talent pool provide competitive advantages that are hard to beat; its biomedical research infrastructure alone, built and underway, makes Northern Virginia a national and global location for high value knowledge jobs now, and going forward,” said Burriss.
Burriss is an award-winning economic developer who began Georgia BIO to grow the state’s life sciences industry after successfully securing the national headquarters relocation of the American Cancer Society to Atlanta. She’s served on the Emory University Board of Visitors and Georgia Tech’s National Advisory Board.
“Annie has served as a passionate advocate for the Georgia Health Sciences enterprise,” said GHSU President Ricardo Azziz. “She has been instrumental in representing and securing support for the institution through the development of business, government and higher education partnerships. Her expertise, coupled with her deep commitment to public service, will be greatly missed.”
Burriss earned her doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. She has a master of city planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and fine arts degrees from Stephens College of Missouri and Sullins College of Virginia.
She is married to J. Wood Burriss; they are proud parents of a daughter and son.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university. George Mason University—Where Innovation Is Tradition.
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