Board of Directors of the Burke Institute for Innovation in Education

The Burke Institute Board of Directors consists primarily of educators, technologists, and civic leaders. The board focuses on practical aspects of leading the organization, including fundraising and strategic partnerships.

James Burke
Perhaps best known as the host and producer of many television series, including Connections and The Day the Universe Changed, James Burke has had a career as interdisciplinary as his television shows. An author, journalist, science historian, translator, and frequent keynote speaker, Burke’s experience might best be summed up by the term "educator." Working with various media, from radio to television to print, he has brought the world a unique perspective on how all of history is interrelated and interdependent. Burke was educated at Oxford University and has been awarded honorary doctorates in for his work in communicating science and technology.

Bill Fisher
Bill Fisher has served as president of the Special Libraries Association as well as associate dean of Graduate Studies & Research, San Jose State University, and professor and associate director of the SJSU School of Library and Information Science. He earned his doctorate at the University of Southern California. Fisher has published widely on business and civil rights issues, including a history of business journals, and The Invisible Empire: A Bibliography of the Ku Klux Klan and Free at Last: A Bibliography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Patrick McKercher
Patrick McKercher teaches courses in writing, technology, and the environment at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He serves on several educational technology advisory boards and has long been involved in using technology for outreach to public schools—particularly through the investigation of virtual reality spaces for educational exploration, collaboration, and mentoring.

Margarita Quihuis
Margarita Quihuis is managing director of Open Capital Network, a nonprofit organization focused on creating and facilitating innovations that help improve the quality of life for the consumers of developing countries. She is frequently a featured speaker at a variety of domestic and international conferences and has served as a consultant to the U.S. State Department on entrepreneurship. Prior to serving at Open Capital Network, Quihuis was a venture partner for NewVista Capital, a seed and early stage venture fund focused on the information technology and enterprise software markets. Previously, she was the executive director of the San Francisco-based Women's Technology Cluster, specializing in helping launch woman-founded high-tech companies.

Matthew Kaser
Matthew Kaser is a senior partner at Bell & Associates, a San Francisco Patent Law Office, specializing in biotechnology, plant/agri-biotechnology, and medical devices. He has wide experience in biotechnology IP issues and has spent over twenty years in academic and industry scientific research. His work has focused on the role of gene expression during vertebrate growth and development, with particular emphasis on the effects of toxins and radiation. He is on the Board of the Houston-based public interest group Public Search, where he has advised on biotechnology, radiation, and health issues. He is also on the Board of the Castro Valley Educational Foundation (Alameda County, Calif.) and has been involved in projects to promote science education in the school district.

Sharon Svensson
Sharon Svensson is president of Essex & Drake, for nearly two decades assisting nonprofits in the Bay Area. She got her start as the first staff person hired by the San Jose Cleveland Ballet, which became recognized nationally as the strongest performing arts co-venture in the country. She has served on the San Jose City Arts Commission and was recently selected as the Outstanding Professional Fundraiser by the American Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Silicon Valley Chapter.