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J ERE L YNN B URKHART R ECEIVES F AULKNER U NIVERSITY ’ S H IGHEST H ONOR FOR P IONEERING A UTISM E DUCATION It was a night of surprise and tears of gratitude for Jere Lynn Burkhart as she joined her family on stage at Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner at the Renaissance Hotel on October 4 to receive the university’s highest honor. She was bestowed the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for her contributions to the development of autism education and her support of Faulkner’s vision for its own autism center. Over 30 years ago, her grandson was diagnosed with autism and Burkhart made a decision to do everything she could to help him thrive. Burkhart became a pioneer in autism education in an era when autism education and professional services were almost nonexistent. “Tonight we honor a woman who embodies everything Faulkner University espouses to be,” Faulkner University President Mike Williams said. “Jere Lynn Burkhart is a pioneer who led the trail- blazing movement to speak for a segment of our nation who could not speak for themselves.” “No one came forward with a solution. She forged her way through the darkness using the compass of the Lord Jesus Christ to find a way.” Today, Burkhart’s vision is embodied in the Burkhart Center for AutismEducation and Research at Texas Tech University, which 58 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com CITY BUZZ ................................................................................................................................ D R . E LLIOT K NIGHT N AMED N EW E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR TO THE A RTS C OUNCIL The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) is excited to announce Elliot A. Knight as its new executive director. Knight is currently the Deputy Director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts. He previously held the position of Visual Arts Program Manager and Director of the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery at ASCA in Montgomery. Knight, an Opelika native, earned three degrees from the University of Alabama including a BA in Visual Communication, an MA in American Studies, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies. He currently serves as a board member for the Montgomery Public Art Commission, Montgomery Art Guild, and the University of Alabama Community Affairs Board of Advisors, and has served as a member of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art Junior Executive Board. Knight is a Blackburn Institute Fellow. He co-founded and developed the nationally recog- nized Black Belt 100 Lenses Program, a participatory photography and arts pro- gram that worked with high school students in twelve Alabama Black Belt counties from 2007-2012. Knight developed and taught several courses at the University of Alabama in the Department of Art History, the Honors College, and the Department of American Studies. He also served as Director of the Arts Living Learning Community at the University of Alabama. Knight will take the helm on January 1, 2019 building on the success of the agency’s work in promoting Alabama’s diverse and rich artistic resources. ASCA has been a leader in the state arts agency field with model programs and a funding philosophy that maximizes the value of state and federal investment in the arts for the benefit of all Alabamians.