Engaging others in globalization

Gary Burniske, assistant director for program development in International Programs in Agriculture, was one of two staff winners of Purdue’s 2023 Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Award. These university-level awards recognize faculty and staff who increase Purdue’s global recognition as a leader in higher education.

Burniske led efforts to bring young African leaders to Purdue for a Leadership Institute in Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship as a part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF), a U.S. State Department program. He serves as academic director of MWF Institutes on campus and co-authored several grants for international projects funded by USAID, the Department of State and the National Science Foundation.

Gerald Shively, associate dean and director of International Programs in Agriculture, said Burniske’s contributions “have been comprehensive and impactful in all three of Purdue’s land-grant mission areas. Gary’s positive, can-do attitude is often the essential element in developing the teams necessary to successfully compete for external grants and contracts.”

For Burniske, the key is engaging students and faculty in conversations, “to get them excited about the research and technological advances that they’re undertaking at Purdue, and how those can be applied in an international setting to meaningfully change people’s lives for the better.” Read more about his international work.