A former director of Appalachian Studies at Radford University has been named Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement and Economic Development at Emory & Henry College, where she also will supervise the planning of a Center for Community and Economic Development.
Dr. Theresa Burriss, who taught at Radford for more than 25 years and served as the director of the University’s Appalachian Regional & Rural Studies Center, will oversee key community engagement and economic development initiatives at Emory & Henry, helping the college to enhance its profile as a major force for economic advancement in the region.
In addition, as the first head of the planned Center for Community and Economic Development, she will nurture partnerships to enhance opportunities for existing businesses, burgeoning and seasoned entrepreneurs, and mountain communities through the application of higher education resources. “I am excited to join Emory & Henry and contribute to the institution’s mission and commitment to serve Southwest Virginia and the broader Appalachian region,” Burriss said.
A past director of the Appalachian Studies Program at Radford, Burriss has dedicated much of her service work as an academician to regional community and economic development. With her background in Appalachian Studies, she will support and enhance the Emory & Henry Appalachian Center for Civic Life.
In 2020, she was appointed by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to serve on the Virginia Council for Environmental Justice. She is a past chair of the Board of Directors for Appalachian Sustainable Development. And she serves as a member of Opportunity Southwest Virginia, which is dedicated to developing the small business ecosystem of the region.
A Fulbright Scholar whose academic pursuits have taken her to Eastern Europe, Burriss taught Appalachian Literature to third-year American studies students at Transilvania University in Brasov, Romania. She also has conducted cross-cultural coal community research between Appalachia and the Jiu Valley of southwest Romania.
In her new role, Burriss also will lead the Emory & Henry Women’s Center, which focuses on supporting Central Appalachia through initiatives that enhance the lives, contributions and well-being of women. “Emory & Henry’s dedication to enhancing the holistic health of our region is inspirational and I’m honored to be included in that work,” she said.
With the appointment of Burriss to this new position, Emory & Henry is strengthening its commitment to the economic future of Southwest Virginia, according to Emory & Henry President John Wells. “Emory & Henry has long been a major, positive force in the economy of this place,” Wells said. “We seek to build on these contributions as we add to the positive momentum toward a future in our communities that is rich with opportunity.”
