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Wegmans pioneer and education advocate recognized for decades of leadership, service, and philanthropy

Mary Ellen Burris ’68W (EDM), a pioneering leader in consumer affairs and corporate social responsibility, is the recipient of the Warner School of Education and Human Development’s 2025 Spring Distinguished Alumni Award.

The award recognizes graduates who embody the Warner School’s mission to make the world Ever Better and who serve as an inspiration to current and future alumni.  

Over her nearly five-decade tenure at Wegmans Food Markets, Burris became the “voice of the customer,” championing food safety, sustainability, and consumer education. She began her career as an educator before joining Wegmans in 1971 and rising to the role of senior vice president of consumer affairs. In that role, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Strive for Five” campaign, promoting healthy eating, and supported local sourcing and food safety efforts. Her thousands of weekly consumer columns helped shape Wegmans’ reputation as one of the most customer-focused companies in the country.

Burris earned her undergraduate degree in home economics from West Virginia University and her master’s degree in educational psychology — now known as human development — from the Warner School.

Beyond her corporate achievements, Burris has been a dedicated philanthropist and community leader. For over 20 years, she has served the Warner School in numerous capacities, including as a member of its National Council and the Advocacy Council for its Center for Urban Education. Her historic philanthropic gifts established the Warner School’s first endowed deanship, two professorships, and an endowed ���ɱ���, securing her exemplary legacy in advancing education.

“Mary Ellen has enriched the Warner School and the ���ɱ��� with her singular wisdom and extraordinary generosity,” says Melissa Sturge-Apple, interim dean of the Warner School. “Sweat equity wasn’t enough for Mary Ellen—in addition to rolling up her sleeves and sporting her thinking cap over the past 20 years, she has been a strategic and visionary philanthropic partner like no other. Her decades of involvement and counsel — as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee and a founding member of the Warner School’s National Council — have helped to transform the Warner School.”

In 2023, she further solidified her commitment to education and well-being in the community she loves by creating the Mary Ellen Burris Orthopaedics Endowment for the Saunders Center for Orthopaedics and Physical Performance Center. The auditorium within the center will be named the Mary Ellen Burris Auditorium and will provide space for teaching and training.

Throughout her career and into retirement, Burris has remained a steadfast advocate for education, public health, and sustainable food practices. Her many accolades include the Charles Force Hutchison and Marjorie Smith Hutchison Medal, the Alexis de Tocqueville Award from the United Way, and the Legacy Award from Foodlink. 

Burris received the Distinguished Alumni Award on April 29. . To learn more about the Distinguished Alumni Award or to nominate a graduate, visit the award webpage.