Dr. Steven Burg, a professor of history at Shippensburg University, is the university’s recipient of the annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Keepers of the Flame Award, organized by Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).
The award recognizes an individual from each of the State System university campuses for their contributions to creating and promoting diverse, equitable and inclusive environments that cultivate a sense of belonging.
Dr. Burg helps to organize campus events to encourage the university community to engage in healthy discussions about racial discrimination.
Dr. Burg presented at the National First Year Experience Conference in 2020 on “Fostering Cross-Campus Collaboration for First Year Student Success,” and assisted the Multicultural Student Affairs department on “Building Bridges,” a program with small group discussions to better understand issues that separate people.
“Each recipient of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Keepers of the Flame award embodies the best in humanity – demonstrating a commitment to raising awareness about important issues and advocating for ‘doing the right thing,’” said Dr. Denise Pearson, vice chancellor and chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer at the Office of the Chancellor.
Burg’s current research is documenting and preserving the history of African American cemeteries. Burg began preserving a local cemetery 20 years ago and later started working with the Pennsylvania Hallowed Grounds. In February, the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office invited Burg to present his research entitled, “Discovering Pennsylvania’s African American Cemeteries”.
More information about the commitment of the State System and its universities to cultivating diverse, equitable and inclusive environments is available on the PASSHE website.
