Published on March 29, 2016

University of Missouri Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies Jim Spain announced today that DeAngela Burns-Wallace has been named assistant vice provost for undergraduate studies. Previously, Burns-Wallace served as the assistant vice provost for enrollment management and director of access initiatives at MU.

“Dr. Burns-Wallace is a passionate educator,” Spain said. “She has been a valued member of the Mizzou family and we look forward to having her as part of the undergraduate studies team. With her expertise in education policy issues, she has had a positive impact on student access and student success. We anticipate that she will have the same kind of impact in this new role.”

As director of access initiatives, Burns-Wallace provided opportunities and resources to students, families and education professionals in the K-12 arena and coordinated the university’s statewide college access strategy with emphasis on increasing college readiness. She has played a major role in implementing and evaluating Mizzou’s strategic access, recruitment and retention initiatives.

In her new position, Burns-Wallace will focus on areas of student success.

“This new role provides a unique and exciting opportunity that aligns my passion for student success with my years of experience supporting student access to higher education,” Burns-Wallace said. “It is critical that students have the tools, networks and resources to be successful and thrive throughout their educational journey.”

During her time at MU, she has served on numerous committees including the Commission on Student Success, the Academic Retention Services Advisory Committee, the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative Advisory Committee and the Excellence in Advising Selection Committee. She also holds a faculty appointment through the College of Education’s Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis division.

“Student success is about understanding who students are and what students need,” Burns-Wallace said. “It is about providing an environment that fosters and celebrates student achievement across all student populations.”
Prior to arriving at the University of Missouri in 2009, Burns-Wallace was assistant dean in the Office of Undergraduate Admission at Stanford University. She has also served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State.

Burns-Wallace holds a dual bachelor’s degree in international relations and African-American studies from Stanford, a master’s degree in public policy from the Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on issues of access and success for students of color and low income throughout higher education as well as equity-minded leadership.

Burns-Wallace spent the last year as an American Council on Education fellow. She spent extensive time at peer institutions around the country researching various higher education leadership models including promising practices to support student success.