Dr. Ben Burnett is the Executive Vice-President and the Dean of the School of Education. He began his tenure as Dean of the William Carey University School of Education in 2014. His service to the field of education began in 1986 and since that time he has worked with the students of south Mississippi as a band director, middle school principal, and superintendent of education. Dr. Burnett is a faculty member in the William Carey School of Education where he teaches School Law and Data-Driven Decision Making. He also serves as the Executive Director for the Program for Research and Evaluation of Public Schools (PREPS), a state-wide non-profit consortium of public schools in Mississippi. He has been married to Denice Burnett, a retired special education director and William Carey graduate, for 30 years. They have one son, Lane, who is recent graduate of William Carey University. He is an active member of Willow Pointe Baptist Church where he serves as an Elder, Small Group Facilitator and drummer for the praise band.

Ph.D., Educational Leadership, University of Southern Mississippi, 2002
Master’s, Music Education, University of Southern Mississippi, 1989
Bachelor’s, Music Education, University of Southern Mississippi, 1986
165 Music Instrumental (K-12)
486 Career Level Administrator
487 Career Level Elementary Principal
488 Career Level Secondary Principal