Longtime Political Science administrator Rhonda Burns retires amid cheers and tears
May 28, 2025 - Karessa Weir
On May 5, the office at the end of the long hall on the 3rd floor of South Kedzie Hall stood empty. The flower-covered windows were dark. The friendly face who greeted faculty, staff and students at MSU Department of Political Science was gone.
Administrative Assistant Rhonda Burns was with the department for 41 years. Her retirement this spring was met with gratitude, celebrations and sadness from her longtime colleagues:
Kelly Sweet: “Rhonda was my direct supervisor for the past 6 years. She is hands down the best supervisor that I have ever worked with. I am really going to miss Rhonda... There will never be anyone quite like her! Thanks for everything, Rhonda!
Sarah Krause: “Rhonda has been a staple of the Department of Political Science ever since I started working here. She helped train me for my job and was always there to answer questions. I knew I could go to her office to get answers or just vent frustrations with work or life. We enjoyed discussing family, TV shows, and going out to lunch some Fridays. I'll never forget her teaching me to use the crosswalks on campus. As a rural raised individual I was always waiting forever for traffic to clear and she boldly stepped into the crosswalk proclaiming pedestrians have the right of way on campus. I swear HER life flashed before MY eyes but now I traverse campus easily. She has a great sense of humor and a kind spirit, always willing to go out of her way to help. I felt truly supported and appreciated with her in the department as my supervisor and friend. I will deeply miss her.”
Marty Jordan: Our diverse department boasts more than 900 undergraduate majors; some 40 full-time faculty and staff; around 50 PhD and Master of Public Policy students; numerous experiential learning programs, public forums, and departmental activities to serve our student body and larger community. Rhonda served all of us expeditiously and with care for more than three decades. She didn't just make the “trains run on time,” she did so with grace, humor, and distinction. Her express responsibilities included supporting the Chair’s duties, supervising staff, managing office space, and maintaining the department’s budget and accounting procedures. But she did so much more than that. She lifted up and celebrated student, staff, and faculty contributions. Rhonda is a true gem, and the legacy of our Department is stronger and more meaningful because of her invaluable contributions over these many decades. Rhonda will be greatly missed.”
Ani Sarkissian: “Despite her tough exterior, Rhonda’s warm heart shone through in everything she did for the Department. Faculty are not always known for being easy to deal with or great with deadlines, and I’m sure this caused lots of frustration and headaches for Rhonda. Yet, she always worked diligently to solve problems and make things right—and managed not to make you feel bad when you messed up. She also took charge when something needed to be done, even if it wasn’t her responsibility. I can’t remember how many times I saw her moving furniture, cleaning up stains, or doing other such tasks because “someone had to do it." I will really miss the morning chats we had in her office when nobody else was around, but am so happy that she will get to spend more time with her family, doing the things she loves.”
Krista Zeig: “Rhonda was truly the glue to the PLS department. She was the go-to person for every single person in the department- faculty, staff member, or academic advisor. She was always the first person I contacted with questions for which I had no idea where to start. She was an incredible resource and so knowledgeable, while also being willing to help with anything. Rhonda was the first person to welcome me into the department and make me feel like I belonged in PLS, and I will never forget how thankful I was to her in my early days for popping by my office just to say hi and talk for a few minutes. Additionally, shortly after having my first child, Rhonda took time out of her day to drive my laptop to me while I was on maternity leave. These are just a couple examples (of many!) that show how caring and kind Rhonda is. Rhonda is easily one of the most hard-working and kind people I have met, and I feel very thankful to have worked with her for 10 years. While she is already missed greatly, I’m so glad she is now able to spend more time with her family and friends. We love you, Rhonda!”
Erica Frantz: “Rhonda is a no-nonsense, get-things-done type of person – with a heart of gold. If you have a problem, Rhonda solves it! Rhonda took care of so many things for so many people in the department, working behind the scenes to keep it all functioning and going above and beyond in all that she did. Rhonda accumulated a wealth of institutional knowledge during her time at MSU, having navigated the complex university bureaucracy adeptly and efficiently, making her an invaluable resource for us all. She handled difficult and frustrating tasks with patience and good humor. Though Rhonda was never one to seek the limelight, I hope that she understands what an all-star person and colleague she is. We will miss her deeply!”
Ryan Black: “Over the 16 years that I've been at MSU, I've sent thousands of emails to Rhonda. Many were of the "Help me, Rhonda" variety, where I needed to tap into her bottomless reservoir of institutional knowledge to try and figure out how a process worked. But, if I'm being completely honest, an even larger share of these emails began with "Sorry that I..." when I goofed something up, waited until the very last second to do something, or chose to forge ahead with the forgiveness over permission strategy. Sometimes, my transgression ticked all these categories. Yet somehow, Rhonda always met my chaos with calm competence, turning my panic into a plan and my apologies into action items. It would have been impossible to get anything done here without her steady hand and generous spirit. The Department is a better place because of her myriad contributions. And, as we've learned in the time since her departure, there's hardly any facet of the operation of PLS that she wasn't involved with. Here's to Rhonda -- may her retirement be as generous to her as she always was to all of us!”
Brian Egan: “Rhonda was (and always has been) very welcoming and supportive during my time in PLS and beyond. Rhonda was not only supportive in her role in the department in terms of a variety of questions, but also on a personal level. For example, Rhonda would ask how things are going in my life, whether that be family, a race I was doing, or how my doctoral program was going, etc. Rhonda really cares about people. Another example, of how Rhonda showed her level of care is how she stayed in touch with people. She stayed in touch with Karen Battin after she retired from PLS and stayed in touch with me even after I left the department. I always felt honored when Rhonda would reach out to see if I wanted to connect for lunch with her and Karen (and others). This small gesture made me feel like I as still part of the PLS family and community.
It would also be hard to summarize a write-up for Rhonda without speaking to her level of dedication to her work. Rhonda was extremely hard working and set a very good example and a high bar in terms of a strong work ethic. Rhonda also had the institutional and departmental knowledge which is unmatched!
Rhonda, first and foremost, thank you for you! Thank you for being so welcoming, caring, and hard working, and thank you for all your years of service to MSU-PLS. Enjoy your retirement and more time with your family---very well deserved! You will be missed!”
