Dr. Kory Burns Named 2026 Graduate of the Last Decade

Valdosta State University recently honored Dr. Kory Burns with the 2026 Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award. He is pictured with Dr. Donald J. Green, president of VSU; Dr. Pierre-Richard Cornely, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics; and Thomas D. Head, president of the VSU Alumni Association Executive Board.

VALDOSTA – Valdosta State University recently honored Dr. Kory Burns with the 2026 Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award.

“Honestly, this award means everything to me,” he said. “VSU has tens of thousands of alumni — likely closer to 100,000 — and to be honored as one of the alumni on the highest tier is a blessing. My life carries a heavy crown; I always want to be there for my family, my job is demanding, and my passion is being active in my community. Being involved in all of them can be draining, but this recognition is a reminder that I am making a positive impact, and I must keep my foot on the gas. 

“It is also a reminder of the impact faculty members can have on students. This is a reminder to me to continuously pour into the students I mentor at University of Virginia. There is no greater feeling than positively altering the direction of someone’s life.”

Burns earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 2017. He serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Virginia, where he runs the Burns Lab, also known as the Burns Electronic and Advanced Materials (BEAM) Lab.

“Dr. Kory Burns represents the very best of what we hope for every student who walks through our doors,” said Dr. Pierre-Richard Cornely, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. “His remarkable journey from a VSU chemistry student to an internationally recognized scientist and educator is a powerful reminder that talent, determination, and the encouragement of caring faculty can open doors to extraordinary possibilities. What makes Kory’s story especially meaningful is that, despite all he has accomplished, he has never forgotten the people who believed in him or the importance of lifting others along the way. His success is a tremendous source of pride for our college and an inspiration to every student who dares to dream beyond what seems possible.”

VSU Alumni Relations: How did your time at Valdosta State University shape your personal and professional lives?

Burns: VSU was the first time I lived on my own, enjoyed the experience of having a room to myself, a bathroom that was not shared by many people, and it even was the first time in many years I had a bed to myself that was comfortable. These items seem small because they are taken for granted so frequently by middle- and upper-class Americans, but the level of peace and comfort I had by having my own space was a big motivating factor for me to succeed as a professional, as shared rooms and uncomfortable sleep patterns was a lifestyle I did not want to return to.

The small classroom sizes at VSU were very important. They allowed for me to develop personalized relationships with the chemistry faculty. Personalized relationships are the primary driver for more impactful letters of recommendation, leading to professional opportunities outside of VSU. My first internship during my VSU years came from the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), which is a Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory based in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. Professor Tom Manning and Professor Dean Duncan wrote letters for me; their willingness to write strong letters on my behalf really propelled my career.

Two months before graduating from VSU, I also secured my first job at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), another DOE facility outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. My career has been built on these DOE opportunities, but being heavily involved in the research laboratories of Professors Tom Manning and Dean Duncan taught me how to be a researcher. Without their guidance it’s unclear where I would be in my professional journey today.

From a personal standpoint, I met some of my closest friends at VSU, who are all lifelong friends. Not mentioning any of my lifelong friends I knew from before VSU (i.e., Bakari Best), but it started with my roommate in my first year of college, Joshua Parker. Joshua is one of the most intelligent, well-rounded people I know, with a unique balance between “book-smart” and “street-smart.” We had a lot of healthy debates over the years, and he taught me the importance of speaking up for yourself and fighting for what you believe in. Next, we collectively met Delmarcus Brunson, Edward Culpepper, and Jaisen Edwards; they all became family members. Delmarcus taught me that it’s important to bring a light to every room and take every opportunity to laugh. Edward taught me to dream big and have fun at every step along the way. Jaisen taught me accountability, to stand on your word, and that loyalty is not optional.  

Finally, our late friend Bryce Adair, a diehard fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, embodied “brotherly love.” He taught me to invest in personal relationships deeply, to always be there for your brothers, and to use any situation to create a positive memory. Bryce was the heartbeat of our friend group; he brought each of us closer together. This friend group also includes those who joined a little later in my VSU journey at different times, including Joshua Nixon, Rodrick Chandler, and Chris Wyatt.   

If I chose to attend a different university, I would have never met them. VSU manifested this relationship and brought us all together. Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I believe that to be true, and the qualities learned from them really are the pillars of my growth as a person.

VSU Alumni Relations: What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of since graduating from VSU? 

Burns: As I sit back and think about this question, I am proud of many things, but I am most proud of the international recognition I have received and the responsibility on an international platform I have been entrusted with. Allow me to elaborate on this.

In the field of research, giving invited talks is a recognition of the strength of someone’s research portfolio, and the actual invitation comes from a renowned scientist who respects your work. In the past two years, I have been to 19 different countries to speak about my research on international platforms. That is viewed as an accomplishment to me because I never got a chance to go outside the country in my first 25 years of life. 

Now, [let me share] some very important work my research portfolio has allowed me to be entrusted with on an international platform. First, Nairobi, Kenya, is one of largest technological hubs in Africa. The largest semiconductor company in Africa, called Semiconductor Technologies Limited (STL), is based outside of Nairobi in Nyeri. I go to this facility every summer to deliver workshops and give hands-on training to the scientist there in semiconductor fundamentals. This is primarily centered on metrology, fabrication, and characterization. I design the curriculum myself and, in part, have the responsibility of growing the innovation out of Nairobi to be competitive on a global scale.

Next, I work very closely with the University of Ghana in the Legon-Accra region, where we collaborate on building materials for sustainability. One example is we are looking at new innovations to concrete structures in the greater-Accra region that are durable to extreme temperatures and are self-healing. The end of potholes destroying tires, perhaps?

VSU Alumni Relations: What person, experience, or opportunity at VSU had the greatest impact on your life?

Burns: This is actually a very easy answer. I met my wife at VSU, and without question, she had the greatest impact on my life. The most important thing she did was believe in me. While I was never a “low self-esteem” person, she saw more in me than I saw in myself. That was the biggest driver of my success, and it still is to this day. She also birthed me a set of twins. I owe her a debt worth 1,000 lifetimes. 

Aside from my wife, the tutelage of Professor Dean Duncan was very refreshing to have. He taught me to think deeply about challenging problems, to pursue solutions to problems that no one knows the answers to, and to be relentless in my approach to understanding the unknown. Having Professor Duncan as my research advisor during my junior and senior year at VSU was the biggest motivator for me pursuing a Ph.D., which has altered every aspect of my life.

VSU Alumni Relations: What advice would you give today’s VSU students? What do you wish someone had told you when you were in college?

Burns: VSU embodies the perfect undergraduate experience. Classrooms are small and personable, abundant research opportunities are available in the STEM fields, professors prioritize teaching and student engagement, and the campus is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen — and I have seen over 75! 

As a student, you have every opportunity to succeed at VSU because you are surrounded by people who care. Use those resources! Listen to your professors. They have your best interest at heart. Do not make excuses. No one wants to hear them. Go to that party. It’ll be fun! Students do not perform poorly in class because they had fun in college. They perform poorly because they did not give it their best effort. Find a balance, pace yourself, and keep the end goal in mind of graduating.

VSU Alumni Relations: Where do you currently live and how do you spend your time? Your answer could include where you work and what you do there, community service you enjoy doing, the church you attend and organizations you are a member of, your family, your pets, your hobbies, etc.  

Burns: I currently live in Charlottesville, Viginia, and spend most of my time creating memories with my family and working as a faculty member in materials science and engineering at the University of Virginia. My primary job there is to do research, but I also have relatively heavy commitments to teaching and service. In research, I serve as a principal investigator on projects sponsored by NASA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, the Electric Power Research Institute, and internal funds. Collectively, this amounts to the management of over $8 million in research funds. At a high level, I use sophistical instrumentation to build materials one atom at a time, thereby controlling the properties of a material for use in many different applications.

In teaching, I teach graduate courses that are highly theoretical and advanced in nature, as well as undergraduate courses that serve as soft introductions to the field. I teach previously developed courses at the undergraduate level, but I also develop new courses at the undergraduate level, which takes a lot of work to build lecture content, project ideas, homework sets, and exams.

In service, I have many responsibilities, ranging from community service, professional societal service, and university service. I will name one highlight from each.

Community Service: I serve on the Board of Directors of 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, an organization whose mission is to bridge the achievement gap between young men of African-decent and those of European and Asian-decent through mentorship, teaching, and relationship-building.

Professional Service: I serve on the Board of Directors for the Appalachian Regional Microscopy Society. In this role, I organize conferences, develop symposiums, orchestrate the future of the society, fundraise, and recruit new talent.

University Service: I am the faculty representative for Collegiate 100, the graduate chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, and the American Scientific Affiliation. I also serve on many committees at the department level and within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at UVA. 

Aside from these, my family and I have recently joined a church, Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church. This was the first worship place for African Americans in Charlottesville, Viginia, after laws passed “prohibiting blacks to worship without a white minister present.” The church is still around today, is thriving, and has an outstanding community of Christians. We attend this church and are beginning to get more and more involved.