Shannon Lynn Burton, '97 & '00, has been named Michigan State University University Ombudsperson effective July 1, 2018. The ombudsperson assists students in resolving conflicts or disputes with the university. The ombudsperson also helps staff members, instructors and administrators sort through university rules and regulations that might apply to specific student issues and concerns. MSU's Office of the University Ombudsperson is the longest continuously operating college or university ombudsman office in the country. Burton also serves in leadership roles with the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) and the American Bar Association's (ABA) Ombuds Committee, as well as co-edits the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association (JIOA). She earned three undergraduate degrees from Grand Valley State University, master's degrees from Kansas State University and MSU, and her doctoral degree from MSU.