Professorship Brings American Indian Culture to Campus

BUFFALO, NY - Keith R. Burich, PhD, professor of history, is the 2012 recipient of the Peter Canisius Distinguished Teaching Professorship. Burich will use the two-year grant to establish “The American Indian Center at Canisius University,” which will serve as a leading resource on Native American history and culture in Western New York and beyond.

The center will welcome regional and national Native American speakers to campus and invite them to tell their stories “in their own words and in their own ways,” actively recruit Native America students to Canisius University and provide them with financial, academic and social support. In addition, the center will provide training and resources for local educators who serve significant populations of Native American students. Canisius University students will benefit from unique educational opportunities through Burich’s cultural immersion programs, the new interdisciplinary Native Studies Program, and community service projects and internships. 

“This is a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the rich history and culture of the Iroquois Six Nations to students and educators in the region of New York where it has all taken place,” says Richard A. Wall, PhD, interim vice president for academic affairs. 

The Peter Canisius Distinguished Teaching Professorship provides faculty with the resources to create innovative programs that enhance undergraduate teaching through interdisciplinary projects, scholarly travel, experiential courses and the incorporation of technology into the classroom. Professorships are awarded through a competitive grant process, which focuses on creativity and the extent to which proposals will advance the college’s mission. 

Canisius University is one of 28 Catholic, Jesuit colleges in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.