Brian Burnett
Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration
University of Minnesota
Dr. Brian Burnett serves as the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations, the Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer for the University of Minnesota. He previously served as the University of Missouri System Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Burnett also served as the Senior Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and as the Chief Financial Officer for the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
Dr. Burnett earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of Colorado-Boulder, a master’s degree in finance from University of Colorado-Denver, and a doctor of philosophy in educational leadership, research and policy from University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
Tim Boosinger
Provost Emeritus
Auburn University
Dr. Boosinger served as Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Auburn University from 2011-2018. In this role he was responsible for leading the academic programming for twelve colleges and for fostering the advancement of the University’s strategic plan. In total, twenty-five academic support units and colleges reported directly to him. These units focused on the instructional, research, and outreach missions of the institution, and operated with anannual budget of over $300 million.
In addition to other important initiatives he led the development and implementation of a new and more strategic approach to allocating and budgeting University resources.
He implemented student success strategies that improved retention rates and moved Auburn University’s six-year graduation rate up by eight percent in three years.
While Provost he developed a new strategic faculty hiring process designed to encourage interdisciplinary research and enhance the University’s competitive position both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Boosinger was appointed to the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University in 1983 and served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the College from 1993-1995 and Dean from 1995-2011.
He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1976 and his PhD in 1983, both from Purdue University.
Elaine Turner
Dean, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
University of Florida
Dr. R. Elaine Turner is Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Florida (UF) where she provides leadership for instructional programs across the 16 departments and schools that comprise UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Serving more than 6,300 students in 22 undergraduate and 22 graduate majors. Dr. Turner has a strong commitment to promoting excellence in teaching and academic advising and holds a faculty appointment as Professor in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department.
She has been recognized by the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences as both Undergraduate Teacher of the Year and Undergraduate Advisor of the Year and was named one of two UF Honors Professors of the Year in 2003. In 2004, Dr. Turner received the National Award for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences from USDA. She received the Morton Wolfson Faculty Award for Outstanding Service to University of Florida Students in 2009.
M.A. "Venkat" Venkataramanan
Vice Provost for Finance and Strategy
Indiana University-Bloomington
In his current position of Vice Provost for Finance and Strategy Initiatives for Indiana University Bloomington, Dr. M.A. Venkataramanan oversees a $1.7 billion campus budget, including managing the budget process for all academic units and overseeing fiscal operations and program management for campus auxiliaries. Venkataramanan is also responsible for campus strategic initiatives, including globalization, multidisciplinary programs, and optimizing campus funding models and processes, among many others.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from College of Engineering, Madras University in India. He received his Ph.D. in Business Analysis and Research from Texas A&M University in 1987 and joined the faculty of the Kelley School of Business that same year. He served as the chair of the Operations and Decision Technologies department from 1997 to 2003, the Lawrence D. Glaubinger Chair of Business Administration and chairperson of the Kelley School of Business undergraduate program from 2005 to 2009 and Associate Dean-Academic Programs from 2009 to 2012. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of decision support systems and optimization techniques.
