Biography
Yale gave Ursala Burton something she treasured from the moment she arrived: a remarkable community. During her formative years as an undergraduate, she bonded with people across a wide range of interests and backgrounds- from varsity crew rowers to actors in the Dramat, to musicians in the Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs, ringing bells high up in Harkness Tower. Those bonds have continued to shape and sustain her throughout a career in a demanding industry.
Burton’s volunteer service has spanned three decades. A longstanding member of the Class of '88 Committee, she has helped plan reunions in New Haven and events that keep alumni connected in between, such as mini-reunions and milestone birthday celebrations. As a founding board member of the YaleWomen Governing Council and YaleWomen Los Angeles, Burton cochaired programming and moderated a panel at the Inaugural Global Conference. As a board member of the Yale Club of Los Angeles, she created BlueReads, a free series pairing books with live experiences. For her class’s 35th reunion she produced Creatives on Creating, a documentary featuring 34 disparate classmates — performers, scientists, a potter, an architectural historian, a coffee enthusiast and others — each reflecting on creativity.
As an actor, filmmaker, professor, and someone who has spent a career opening doors for others, Burton is honored to bring that commitment to the YAA Board of Governors. Her goal is to help every alum feel, wherever they are in life, what she felt arriving in New Haven: that the Yale community is here for all of us.
