Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky

Andy and Jane Bursky Photo

Andy and Jane Bursky met as undergraduates at Washington University and their deep connection to the university continues today.  Admitted as a Langsdorf Fellow, Mr. Bursky graduated with three degrees in 1978 — a B.A. in economics and B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering — while Mrs. Bursky earned a B.A. in French and education in 1978.

After completing his MBA from Harvard University in 1980, Mr. Bursky co-founded Interlaken Capital, Inc., which became one of the nation’s largest privately-owned businesses in less than 10 years.   In 2002, Mr. Bursky co-founded and became Chairman and Managing Director of Atlas Holdings LLC, a Connecticut-based industrial holding company.  Atlas owns and operates 17 global businesses, employing more than 23,000 associates at over 120 facilities worldwide.  Atlas companies are engaged in a variety of industries, including steel, paper and forest products, packaging, aluminum processing, automotive components, building materials, capital equipment, construction, energy, industrial services, power generation and supply chain management.

In 2016, Andy and Jane made a $10 million donation to the Washington University School of Medicine.  The gift will support and advance cutting-edge work at the newly named Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs. 

The gift also supports an endowed distinguished professorship for the center’s director, Robert D. Schreiber, PhD, the inaugural Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Distinguished Professor. The Burskys’ generous financial commitment will accelerate the center’s progress in illuminating the role of the immune system in fighting a broad array of diseases and in rapidly translating research advances in the field of human immunology into improved patient outcomes. 

The Burskys have also provided significant support for scholarships at Washington University, including the establishment of the Spirit of Washington University Scholarship.  This scholarship provides a lifeline for students facing unexpected financial emergencies that threaten to curtail their education.   They later provided leadership support for the James E. McLeod Scholarship, established in honor of the late dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and vice chancellor for students.

Mr. Bursky has been a member of the University’s Board of Trustees for the past fourteen years and recently joined the board’s Executive Committee.   He also serves on the New York Regional Cabinet and the New York Executive Committee for Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University. The School of Engineering & Applied Science honored Mr. Bursky with its Young Alumni Award in 1993 and an Alumni Achievement Award in 2006; in 2008 he received an Alumni Achievement Award from the School of Arts & Sciences.

Beyond his invaluable contributions to Washington University, Mr. Bursky is actively involved in a number of socially impactful endeavors, including his work as Chairman of the Atlas Foundation which is focused on expanding STEM proficiency among our nation’s youth through a series of innovative collaborations with public and private schools resident in communities where the Atlas Holdings companies operate.   Mr. Bursky is also a co-founder of No Labels, a bipartisan effort to encourage congressional action on key issues facing the nation.

The Burskys reside in Greenwich, Connecticut and have two children, Stephen Bursky and Jennifer Brauntuch, and four granddaughters.  In 2006, Jennifer earned a B.A. degree from Washington University.