Towson University announced on Wednesday that Dr. Mark R. Ginsberg would become its 15th president, beginning on October 30.
Ginsberg comes to Towson from George Mason University, where he is the provost and executive vice president. Towson’s announcement describes him as “an eminent psychologist and educator with extensive experience in academic leadership.” George Mason is the largest public university in Virginia.
There, the announcement reads, Ginsberg has “reimagined core undergraduate programs to establish a comprehensive, multidisciplinary academic experience for students; strengthened community college pathways to expand access to first-generation students; and invested in academic programs, research centers, and administrative and operational supports to bolster GMU’s rise to a Carnegie R1 classification, recognized among institutions with the highest levels of research activity.”
R1 classification on the Carnegie Classification scale is the highest level a university with doctoral programs can achieve, indicating it conducts scientific and/or STEM research at an elite level.
University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman highlighted Ginsberg’s leadership style as one of the core reasons the highly competitive national search that began in January 2023 ended with him.
“Dr. Ginsberg aims to enrich TU’s organizational culture and cohesion by engaging the community in candid conversations…, by centering the vision of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends, and inviting them to imagine the future of TU together,” said Perman.
Ginsberg said he was attracted to Towson “because of its mission and everything it embodies: academic innovation, personal and workforce development, inclusive excellence and community stewardship.”
He called Towson “an engine for success for its students, the Greater Baltimore region and the entire state.”
Ginsberg has spent 40 years as a psychologist, educator, and senior administrator in academia. In addition to his stint at George Mason University, he served as chief executive officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children from 1999 – 2010. He also was on the faculty of The Johns Hopkins University faculty full-time and part-time for more than 20 years, serving in both the School of Medicine and the School of Education.
The national search for Towson University’s president was led by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents and chaired by Regent Ellen Fish. National search firm Isaacson, Miller assisted with recruitment, and interviews were conducted by a committee that comprised students, faculty, staff, and business and community leaders. The Board of Regents and Perman selected Ginsberg from the committee’s group of finalists.
