BUFFALO, NY – Catherine M. Burzik will address the Canisius University undergraduate Class of 2015 on Saturday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m. in the Koessler Athletic Center, located at the corner of Main Street and Delavan Avenue. A native of Jamestown, NY, Burzik is renowned as a leader in the nation’s life sciences industry.
A 1972 alumna, Burzik earned a dual degree in mathematics and classics from Canisius. She went on to earn her master’s degree in mathematics from the State University of New York at Buffalo before joining Eastman Kodak as a software engineer.
At Kodak, Burzik steadily progressed through management positions at Johnson & Johnson, including its Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Division. In 2004, Burzik became president of Applied Biosystems. The life-sciences firm created the instrumentation used to map the human genome but its future became clouded once the genome was sequenced and clients stopped buying its instruments. Burzik was brought in to reinvigorate the company, which she did by bringing in a fresh management team and diversifying the company’s product line to include kits for testing human identification, bio-terrorist pathogens and avian flu.
Burzik’s scientific insight and business acumen led to her becoming president and chief executive officer of Kinetic Concepts Inc. During her tenure, Burzik led the medical device company, which specialized in regenerative medicine, through a $6.1 million leveraged buyout.
Burzik is currently a general partner at Targeted Technologies, an early stage venture capital firm focused on medical device, life sciences and biotech investments.
She also volunteers her time on the boards of various public and not-for-profit organizations. She served as chair and is currently a member of the board of directors for the San Antonio branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve, and is on the boards of the Becton-Dickinzon Company, Innovative Trauma Care and the American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair.
At alma mater, Burzik has served as both a member and chair of the Canisius University Board of Trustees. She continues to be an advocate for Science Hall, the college’s interdisciplinary science building. During the college’s Legacy of Leadership campaign, Burzik made two $1 million gifts to the campaign, the largest commitment from an alumna in Canisius’ 144-year history. Her gift was directed to the renovation of Science Hall and The Catherine and Francis Burzik Endowed Scholarship for students, like Burzik, who major in mathematics and the sciences.
In recognition of her accomplishments and contributions to Canisius, the college named Burzik a Distinguished Alumna (2001) and inducted her into its DiGamma Honor Society (2009).
Canisius will confer an honorary doctorate degree upon Catherine Burzik during undergraduate commencement ceremonies. Also receiving honorary doctorate degrees are Rev. David Hollenbach, S.J., professor of theology at Boston College; Hon. William M. Skretny ’66, chief U.S. District Judge for the Western District of New York; and civil rights leader and legend Rev. C.T. Vivian.
For more information about undergraduate commencement ceremonies, contact the Office of Public Relations at 716-888-2790.
Canisius is one of 28 Jesuit universities in the nation and the premier private university in Western New York.
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