:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/RC7XPVPQLRFI7CYRNO5QPZ4UBA.jpeg)
Mark R. Ginsberg, provost and executive vice president of George Mason University, will serve as Towson University’s 15th president, the University System of Maryland announced Wednesday morning. He will start work Oct. 30.
“As a Maryland resident of more than 40 years, I’ve witnessed TU’s remarkable rise in becoming not only one of the most respected institutions in our state, but one of the best in the nation,” Ginsberg said in a statement.
He replaces Kim Schatzel, who became president of the University of Louisville on Feb. 1 after serving since 2016. Melanie Perreault, Towson’s provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs, has been serving as interim president.
In his career, Ginsberg has bolstered George Mason’s first-year retention rate to 87% and developed programing for new students, according to the university system release. He previously worked as the dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the university in Fairfax, Virginia, and executive director and CEO of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
“Mark has a habit of rising at every organization he joins,” USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman said in a news release. “He’s told me he intends to center the vision of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends, and invite them to imagine the future of TU together.”
Ginsberg’s starting salary will be $600,000, according to USM spokesperson Paul Stackpole. Should Ginsberg serve through October 2026, Towson will contribute $90,000 in post-severance funds. That number increases to $120,000 should he stay through 2027 and $150,000 if he stays through 2028.
Schatzel’s final salary at Towson was $530,450, according to Stackpole.
Towson Student Government Association President Jordan Colquitt said he’s looking forward to Ginsberg’s leadership, especially since his past work shows how student-focused he is.
The Evening Sun
“I’m excited for Mr. Ginsberg to begin his tenure at Towson,” Colquitt said. “I’m just excited to work alongside him. I know that he’ll have respect for the student governing bodies.”
Colquitt said he anticipates Ginsberg will build upon the strong foundation of shared governance built by Schatzel.
Ginsberg holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Cortland. His master’s and doctoral degrees come from Penn State University. Ginsberg also participated in a fellowship in clinical psychology at the Yale University School of Medicine and was later awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters by the State University of New York.
Ginsberg is licensed to work as a psychologist in Maryland.
“I know the entire board is extremely pleased to have a leader of the caliber of Dr. Mark Ginsberg as the next president of Towson University,” USM Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden said in the release. “I especially appreciate the work of the TU presidential search committee, chaired by Regent Ellen Fish, for finding such an outstanding leader among many highly regarded candidates.”
As Ginsberg takes the helm, Towson University will continue its work toward achieving R2 research status, which classifies higher education institutions as having high research activity, according to the release. He also will oversee the rollout of the 2020-30 Campus Master Plan, which promises the development of a state-of-the-art College of Health Professions building in 2024.
“I’m excited to welcome Dr. Ginsberg to Towson University, and I look forward to working closely with him as he leads us into our next phase of growth,” Perreault said in a news release. “Dr. Ginsberg is joining a very special university — one that is celebrated for academic and inclusive excellence. I know TU’s future has never been brighter.”