Executive Dean of the Kennedy School of Government (KSG) Sheila P. Burke has announced she will leave the KSG at the end of this academic year.

Burke accepted a post at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., where she will serve as the undersecretary for American museums, programs and national outreach.

"I have loved my job at the Kennedy School," Burke said. "I have never worked at a place where I so enjoyed the people I worked with or where I more fully embraced the mission of the institution."

After her departure in June, Burke will continue to be a part of the KSG, serving as an adjunct lecturer in public policy.

KSG Dean Joseph S. Nye said Burke will be missed at KSG when she leaves.

"Sheila has been a true leader and a real inspiration to the Kennedy School," Nye said. "Her people skills, combined with her intellect and her practical public policy experience, have provided a solid anchor for the administration of the school."

Burke will be part of an ongoing reorganization of the Smithsonian Institute and will oversee the Institute's American history museums, including the Air and Space Museum and Center for African American History and Culture.

--Kirsten G. Studlien