Boston University’s Senior Vice President of External Affairs Stephen Burgay announced his plans to retire on Dec. 31, ending his 20-year tenure with the University.
Burgay began working for BU in 2004 after being originally attracted to the idea of working at an “important civic institution” with opportunities for growth.
Burgay said “BU had been through a series of presidential transitions, some of which were unsuccessful.” He said the University was “on the cusp” of a major leadership change.
“Shortly before I got here, there were a group of very forward-looking trustees who began to exert more influence and wanted to chart a more forward-looking, progressive direction for the University,” Burgay said. “It seemed like a really perfect time to come on board.”
Burgay’s main goal starting at BU was to enhance the University’s reputation by highlighting academic rigor and research opportunities as an international institution. He also wanted to build an internal communications structure to foster community.
Burgay’s administration helped establish a team at BU’s Marketing and Communications Department. BU Today, the Brink and Bostania have received awards and recognitions from organizations such as the Ad Club and Council for Advancement and Support of Education under the department.
Burgay said creating the team is his proudest achievement.
“Being part of building that and seeing how it helps to bring Boston University alive is the thing that I am most proud of,” Burgay said.
Burgay also served as the chief communications officer and was a senior leadership team member to University leaders like 2005-23 BU President Robert Brown and 2023-24 President Ad interim Kenneth Freeman.
“Steve was a really important advisor I went through last year,” Freeman said. “He brings great wisdom. He’s calm, he’s transparent, he’s consistent and he deeply, deeply cares about the University and the community.”
Burgay said the most challenging periods of his career was during the COVID-19 pandemic, where communication and operation efforts were “dramatically different.”
“All of that was around communications and helping people understand what they needed to do in terms of testing, quarantining, treatment [and] in terms of support,” Burgay said.
BU Spokesperson Colin Riley said many will miss Burgay after his departure given the impact he’s left on the University.
“He’s someone who is well connected through higher education of peer institutions and probably someone that will be missed by Boston University, but will be missed by his peers and other institutions who have used him for counsel and guidance,” Riley said.
BU President Melissa Gilliam announced a national search to find a permanent replacement for Burgay in the coming weeks. Until then, Vice President of Government and Community Affairs Jake Sullivan will act as a temporary stand-in, Riley said.
Sullivan said a replacement must be someone with “enormous integrity, professionalism, vision and someone who really would be excited to take Boston University to even greater heights.”
Burgay said he is looking forward to traveling following his retirement, and is planning a trip to South Africa with his wife in January.
He said his time at BU gave him “the greatest professional satisfaction of my career,” because he helped build something new at the University.
“Being able to see it from day one and be part of its building over the course of all these years, I think for me professionally, was a way to pull together all of my experiences and put them to work,” Burgay said.