Professor | Western Kentucky University, Counseling and Student Affairs | monica.burke@wku.edu
Previous SACSA Title(s): Chair, Faculty/Graduate Preparation Committee; Chair, Research Committee; Graduate Symposium Coordinator
Dr. Monica Galloway Burke is a Professor in the Department of Counseling and Student Affairs at Western Kentucky University, where she has built a nearly three-decade career as both educator and practitioner in higher education and student affairs. Her work bridges scholarship, mentorship, and service. Dr. Burke’s research focuses on college student development, professional growth, coping and helping skills, and inclusion in higher education. She has published widely in peer-reviewed journals, contributed to multiple edited books, and co-authored or edited several scholarly and professional texts including Helping Skills for Working with College Students, Mindful Strategies for Helping College Students Manage Stress: A Guide for Higher Education Professionals, Helping Students in Distress: A Faculty Guide, Culturally Responsive Leadership for Social Justice and Academic Equity for All, and No Ways Tired: The Journey for Professionals of Color in Student Affairs.
Dr. Burke is deeply engaged in professional service and leadership. She currently serves as Faculty Fellow for ONE WKU in the Office of the Provost and is a member of the Kentucky Faculty Advisory Network for the state’s Council for Postsecondary Education. She is also a Global Labor Organization (GLO) Fellow and has served as a DEI Community of Practice Fellow through the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL).
Across her career, Dr. Burke has delivered more than 175 presentations and workshops and mentored countless students, faculty, and professionals. Her work has earned her numerous awards from Western Kentucky University and the broader community, including the WKU Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Faculty Mentoring Award, the WKU President’s Award for Diversity, and the Bowling Green Human Rights Commission’s Woman of Achievement Award in College Education. She was also inducted into the Kentucky Hall of Fame by the College Personnel Association of Kentucky (CPAK), a state division of ACPA. Dr. Burke continues to advocate for inclusive student development, faculty engagement, and collaborative leadership—principles that define her contributions to higher education.
A longstanding member of the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA), Dr. Burke has held numerous leadership roles including Chair of the Faculty/Graduate Preparation Committee, Chair of the Research Committee, and Graduate Symposium Coordinator. She was instrumental in establishing the SACSA Poster Session and SACSAworks. She has also served as an Associate Editor and reviewer for The College Student Affairs Journal, and remains an engaged and trusted supporter of SACSA initiatives. Her service and leadership have been recognized with SACSA’s highest honors: the Melvene Draheim Hardee Award (2017), the H. Howard Davis Award (2012), and the Bobby E. Leach Award (2004).
