Missouri S&T’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Education has an active alumni group in the Dean’s Leadership Council (DLC). The DLC is made up of a small group of university alumni and friends dedicated to helping the vice provost and dean strengthen CASE growth, transform the student experience, and increase the impact of faculty involvement. But what does that actually involve?

Dr. Casey Burton, the council’s chair, says the DLC helps guide CASE’s philanthropic efforts, providing feedback to the dean and serving as role models to the university community, but they need your help.

“We need to better engage our alumni to be champions of the college,” says Burton, Chem’13, PhD Chem’17, executive director of research and governmental affairs at Phelps Health. “I view this council as an intermediary between the dean’s office and our alumni base. We want to better foster the next generation of leaders and ambassadors for the college, and we can’t do that without everyone’s support.”

CASE alumni represent a wide variety of industries – much more so than S&T’s other two colleges – and the DLC wants to connect with them and make sure they know there is a door into the college’s interactions. Departments have their individual groups, but a shared connection throughout the college is needed, says Burton.

“I still remember when former council chair Ted Kelly, Econ’77, first called me and we talked about the DLC,” says Burton. “It was a key transition period for the council, because CASE had a new dean, the university had a new Kummer College and gift, and many new members were being recruited.”

Burton says that shared governance is vital for the college to grow. With an outside perspective, the council can help identify opportunities for networking, philanthropy, and partnerships with fellow alumni, corporations, and friends at S&T. 

“That’s where I see the transformative power of the DLC – tapping into our vast network of alumni who can offer such a diverse range of careers, expertise and abilities,” says Burton. “Our college consistently punches above its weight with the value it brings to the university.”

Connect with the DLC or share opportunities and ideas by emailing case@mst.edu.