A Q&A with Anne Burke, ORSC’s Assistant Director, IRB Reliance
UT, IRB, HRPP, ORSC. OVPR’s most “acronymous” employee has to be Anne Burke, BS, MSSW, CIP.
BTW, there’s plenty more to learn about the longtime Longhorn — e.g., that her journey at UT goes back more than 25 years, to her undergrad years at Moody College, and when she’s not supporting IRB reliance, she likes to travel to Texas beach towns like Port Aransas (aka “Port-A”).
Read on, OK?
What does your role entail as assistant director of IRB reliance for ORSC?
As the assistant director, IRB Reliance, for the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) at the Office of Research Support and Compliance (ORSC), I oversee the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Reliance Program and provide leadership and regulatory guidance to the research community, IRB staff and IRB members.
My role focuses on supporting all aspects of day-to-day IRB reliance operations and working collaboratively with IRB operations leadership to promote consistency in review processes and alignment of policies and procedures across the reliance program.
How long have you been at UT Austin? Have you ever worked in any other schools or departments?
My journey at UT Austin began in 2000 as an undergraduate in the Moody College of Communication. After graduating, I worked with a clinical research organization until June 2019, which kept me deeply connected to the research environment that ultimately drew me back to the University.
I returned to UT as a program coordinator in ORSC before stepping away to pursue my master’s degree, during which time I worked as a graduate research assistant. Following my graduation, I spent a few years homeschooling my son before returning to work with ORSC in 2018.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
Since returning to work, my time at UT has been both rewarding and fulfilling. I truly love my work and take great pride in supporting researchers as they collaborate with external partners to conduct ethical human subjects research that meets institutional, local and federal requirements.
Over the years, I have progressively grown into my current role and look forward to continuing to strengthen and manage the IRB Reliance Program in service of UT’s research mission. It has been a pleasure working at a top‑tier academic institution committed to excellence and collaboration.
When did you move to Austin, and what brought you here? What do you like most about it?
I have lived in Austin since 1997 and currently reside here with my son, who is in high school. Our family recently experienced the loss of a beloved member: our Maine Coon cat, Guinness, who joined us from Colorado. We miss him dearly.
Austin’s diverse culture, vibrant music scene and incredible food options are some of the things I enjoy most about the city.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love spending time outdoors exploring parks and taking short trips to the Texas coast, including Port Aransas and South Padre Island. Indoors, I enjoy cooking, experimenting with coffee, playing board games and tackling 1,000‑piece jigsaw puzzles.
And finally, most important: If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
If I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life, it would be a purple sweet potato, boiled until tender and dressed simply with garlic salt, basil and extra‑virgin olive oil. It’s a meal I could enjoy any time of day, especially when paired with salmon, warm red cabbage and spinach. Delicious, comforting and endlessly satisfying!