Bridget Burns

Named one of the "Most Innovative People in Higher Education" by Washington Monthly, Dr. Bridget Burns is the founding CEO of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), an award-winning consortium of 19 public research universities working together to improve student success and expand upward mobility at scale. In 2025, she was named a recipient of the Clark Kerr Award by the University of California, Berkeley, one of higher education's most prestigious honors. Over the past decade, UIA campuses have produced more than 183,000 additional graduates, more than doubling the number of graduates from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Dr. Burns' work has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, 60 Minutes, and the documentary Unlikely. She holds a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University.