The Neal-Marshall Alumni Club proudly announces that Brian A. Burt, Ph.D., BS’04, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Charlie Nelms Distinguished Alumni Award.
Created in recognition of Dr. Charlie Nelms’ unwavering pursuit of opportunity for insufficiently supported communities, this award honors alumni whose careers and community service embody the mission of Indiana University. Recipients demonstrate a proven record of leadership, success, and a commitment to driving positive change in their professions and beyond.
Burt is a professor of educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as director and chief research scientist of Wisconsin’s Equity & Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB). His research — supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Sloan Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation — offers groundbreaking insight into the experiences of graduate students in engineering and science, with a focus on students with limited resources and those who have overcome various barriers to entry.
His contributions have earned national recognition, including the National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship and the NSF Early CAREER Award, along with alumni honors from Indiana University, the University of Maryland-College Park, and the University of Michigan.
“Dr. Burt exemplifies the spirit and substance of this award. His career reflects an unwavering dedication to fostering positive change in both his professional environments and the broader communities he serves. He leads with integrity and vision, creating institutional and intellectual space for students and colleagues to thrive,” said Cameron Beatty, BA’08, MS’10, associate professor and associate department chair in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies department at Florida State University. Beatty was one of the people who nominated Burt for this alumni recognition.
As part of IU Homecoming Weekend 2025, Burt will give back to his alma mater by collaborating with the IU School of Education for a special lecture and by leading a college success class during the 4th annual Career Connections with GSP, a program that engages more than 400 students in the Groups Scholars Program’s Freshman Seminar.
Burt will formally receive the Charlie Nelms Distinguished Alumni Award at the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club Reunion XXVII, on Friday, October 17, 2025, during the Soulful Lounge at the DeVault Alumni Center.