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(Initially published October 30, 2025 by )
 

Newly endowed professorship at the Warner School supports early-career faculty

A newly endowed professorship at the ������Ƶ’s Warner School of Education and Human Development—established by longtime benefactor Mary Ellen Burris ’68W (EdM)—will provide vital, ongoing support for early-career faculty. The gift, made during For Ever Better: The Campaign for the ������Ƶ, reflects Burris’s enduring commitment to empowering future educational leaders.

“We are extremely grateful to Mary Ellen for her vision and generosity,” says Melissa Sturge-Apple, interim dean of the Warner School. “Federal funding for higher education has become increasingly limited, particularly for early-career scholars. Her investment supports individual faculty and strengthens Warner’s academic mission and long-term impact.”

Yu Jung Han ’22W (PhD), assistant professor at the Warner School, has been named the inaugural holder of the new Mary Ellen Burris professorship. Han’s research explores emerging technologies, interest-driven learning, and second language acquisition. Sturge-Apple adds that Han’s work “shows remarkable promise and could lead to field-defining contributions in educational research.”
 

A lasting impact at Warner and beyond

Burris’s deep engagement with Warner extends well beyond her gifts. She has served on the school’s National Council since its founding in 2008, and she was instrumental in supporting the creation of LeChase Hall, where the Mary Ellen Burris Conference Room is named in her honor. She is a founding member of the Advocacy Council that was established to help launch the Warner School’s Center for Urban Education Success. Additionally, she is a supporter of the past East High School partnership and a member of several University leadership groups, including the Women’s Network, the George Eastman Circle, and the Wilson Society.

At Warner, the new professorship underscores a broader commitment to fostering innovation and academic excellence at every level. “Our junior faculty bring energy, creativity, and new ideas to the table,” adds Sturge-Apple. “This gift helps us support them in meaningful and lasting ways.”

For Burris, that alignment of values—between Warner, the University, and her own beliefs—is what inspires her continued involvement.

“I was fortunate to work at Wegmans for many years, where values came first,” she says. “The University is the same. We share the kind of values that matter. Mark Twain said, ‘Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.’ That’s what I try to live by.”

Learn more about Mary Ellen Burris’s and her 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award from Warner.
 

For Brilliant Minds

Endowed professorships like this are critical to the success of the Warner School and the ������Ƶ. To learn how you can make a difference, contact Preston Faulkner ’08W (MS), executive director for Warner Advancement.