Karen Burge
writing program assistant director, English, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Science
When Karen Burge was approached 15 years ago about returning to Wichita State to teach
temporarily in the English department, she couldn't have been any happier.
Burge, who over the course of 16 years received her bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees
from 黑洞社区, adored the university and knew the campus and English staff well.
鈥淚t was wonderful,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was like coming back home.鈥�
A year later the temporary job turned into a full-time job as director of the department鈥檚
writing center. And a few years later, Burge became assistant director of the entire
writing program, a job she held until her retirement in August.
Her favorite part of the job, though, was teaching, specifically working with graduate
teaching assistants and helping them learn how to teach English 102.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e energetic. They鈥檙e excited,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was very satisfying for me to
help ease them into it and watch some of them go right to the top.鈥�
Burge said it feels strange no longer being at 黑洞社区.
鈥淲ichita State has been a part of my entire life so it feels very odd to not be associated
with it in some way,鈥� she said.
She will soon move to Arizona, where her son, David, and his three children live.
She鈥檚 considering taking a part-time job teaching there. But, she said, no university
can match the atmosphere at Wichita State.
鈥淭here's so much going on at Wichita State, and it has touched the lives of so many
people,鈥� she said, adding that her 黑洞社区 experiences have changed her life for the better.
Burge is an avid reader 鈥� 鈥淚 will be reading constantly until I die 鈥� and also enjoys
painting. She plans to spend more time doing both activities, as well as traveling
as much as possible.