The president, CEO, and co-founder of one of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical service companies plans to give $10 million to support Mississippi State University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
The gift is coming from Fred and Sara Jean Burke and is expected to create programs benefiting Mississippi State faculty and students through fellowships, scholarships, facility updates, and recruitment programs. In particular, the gift will encourage students to study both engineering and business during their time at the university.
Fred Burke is the CEO of Guardian Pharmacy Services. A 1971 graduate of Mississippi State, he credits the university for setting him up for success in the professional world.
“Equipping engineering students with business education makes for a dynamite combination,” Burke said. “My time at Mississippi State launched me on my path and had a profound impact in my life.”
Burke’s professional path led him to Guardian Pharmacy Services, which he cofounded in 2004 and now leads as president and CEO. The company has become one of the nation’s largest long-term care pharmaceutical companies. Prior to Guardian Pharmacy Services, Burke also cofounded Central Pharmacy Services, Inc., a nuclear pharmacy company that grew to serve more than 1,000 hospitals and clinics in 22 states before it was acquired in 2001 by Cardinal Health.
His recent gift to Mississippi State is directed into five distinct areas. The Burke Faculty Fellows Endowment plans to help attract and retain nationally respected faculty and support ongoing professional development in the industrial and systems engineering department. For students, the Burke Endowed Scholarship will assist undergraduates, while the Burke Graduate Fellows Endowment will support graduate students conducting advanced research.
Additionally, the Burke Equipment and Facilities Endowment will fund operational and maintenance needs, and the Burke Excellence Endowment will support initiatives that enhance the national visibility and educational impact of the university’s industrial and systems engineering program.
“Mississippi State University is a national powerhouse and global leader in engineering education, research, and engagement, and the strong support of alumni and friends like Fred and Sara Jean helps make that possible,” Mississippi State President Dr. Mark Keenum said. “This transformative gift from the Burkes will propel the Bagley College of Engineering and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering to even greater heights and ensure our faculty and students continue to achieve at the very highest levels.”
No stranger to supporting Mississippi State students and faculty, the Burke family established the Fred and Sara Jean Burke Endowed Study Abroad Program fund, which has helped send more than 70 students around the world to learn amid other cultures.