First Endowed Professor in Physical Sciences Named

Roger Burtner, a geologist who worked in the oil and gas industry, was also a longtime member of the Concordia University Irvine Board of Trustees and Board of Regents, serving for more than 30 years combined in volunteer leadership commitments for the University. His wife, Carol, loved music and was a church organist. Both are now with the Lord, but their legacy on campus continues because they used part of their estate to fund an endowed professorship in Roger’s area of primary expertise: the physical sciences.

“The Burtners wanted to help the physical sciences thrive and succeed and to support faculty as they fulfill their vocations within the physical sciences,” says Bret Taylor, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “The Burtner Professorship in Physical Science does just that.”

Lindsay Kane-Barnese, a 2005 alumna of Concordia and a professor at the University for more than 10 years, has been named the first faculty member to hold the rotating professorship. She was chosen for many reasons, including her solid reputation among faculty and students, and her ability to build new programs, says Taylor.

“She was part of getting the biochemistry major started and running successfully,” he says. 

“She is involved in innovative instruction and lab work, helping students to prosper by vetting their research ideas, and introducing them to brand-new methods brought in from the science community.”

The position and the funding that goes with it will allow Kane-Barnese to expand her research efforts and the funding of her labs, plus continue to engage in professional development and areas of research that go beyond the classroom.

Tim Jaeger, vice president for advancement, marketing, and communications, says the Burtners “loved serving the church, gave faithfully all the time, and made plans through their estate that would fund this endowed professorship in the physical sciences. Roger and Carol understood the power of endowment and how it can be such a lifeblood for the institution. It makes the University sustainably stronger in perpetuity.”

Roger, he notes, served on many governing volunteer boards, including at Orange Lutheran High School and on the national board of Bethesda, which helps people with mental disabilities.

“He was an expert in nonprofit governance and used his many and varied gifts,” Jaeger says. “He always provided wise counsel during big decisions and challenging discussions. He was a compassionate man with a good sense of humor.”

Taylor agrees: “Roger and Carol faithfully served to support Lutheran education in all its forms, from grade school through college.”

Because of their generosity, the endowment will enhance and expand what Kane-Barnese—and eventually others who rotate into the professorship—can accomplish as a Concordia faculty member. Taylor says that endowed professorships and endowed chairs will have a “generational impact” on students and the University.

Jaeger notes that Concordia is seeking to increase its number of endowed professorships. This is the second one to be funded, and another four will be funded in the future thanks to testamentary commitments already made as a Concordia faculty member. Taylor says that endowed professorships and endowed chairs will have a “generational impact” on students and the University.

Jaeger notes that Concordia is seeking to increase its number of endowed professorships. This is the second one to be funded, and another four will be funded in the future thanks to testamentary commitments already made.