Kim E. Schatzel Appointed President of Towson University
Appointee Brings Higher Education and Private
Sector Experience
Adelphi, MD (Dec. 4, 2015) - The University System of Maryland (USM)
Board of Regents has appointed Kim E. Schatzel as president of Towson University, one of USM's 12
institutions. Schatzel is interim president, provost, and executive vice president
of academic and student affairs at Eastern
Michigan University (EMU). She will join Towson as president on January 25,
2016.
"We are very pleased that
Dr. Schatzel has accepted the appointment as Towson University's next
president," said USM Board Chair James L. Shea. "She has been successful in
both higher education and the private sector. And she has a strong record of
developing effective partnerships between higher education and business. This
combination of experience will serve Towson and the University System of
Maryland well in the years ahead."
"I am excited to welcome Dr.
Schatzel to the USM community," said USM Chancellor Robert L. Caret. "She has
earned a reputation as a collaborative leader. Her experience at an institution
that is similar to Towson in several ways, including student enrollment and
scope of academic offerings, is especially important. I have every confidence that
she will hit the ground running as she works with Towson's campus and greater
communities to strengthen the institution's position as one of the nation's
top-performing regional universities."
Schatzel since July 2015 has
served as interim president of EMU, a public university in Ypsilanti with an
enrollment of 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students. As provost and
executive vice president of academic and student affairs since 2012, she
provides leadership for all academic, curricular, and research activities; and for
enrollment management. She also is responsible for the Division of Information
Technology.
Her many successes at EMU
include:
-
reorganizing academic and student affairs to
improve the student experience;
-
achieving three consecutive years of record undergraduate
enrollment;
-
developing a comprehensive degree completion and
retention program;
-
reinvigorating the Graduate College and Office
of Research and Development.
Before joining EMU, Schatzel
held several positions in the College of Business at the University of
Michigan-Dearborn, beginning in 2000 as an assistant professor of marketing and
rising to interim dean (2007-2008) and dean (2008-2012). As dean, she led the
business college to reposition itself within a highly competitive market,
leading to enrollment growth and enhanced ability to attract and retain
outstanding faculty.
Schatzel also brings more
than 20 years of corporate, new venture, and start-up experience to the Towson
presidency, including serving as founding president and chief operating
officer, and later as chief executive officer, of a multinational industrial
firm employing more than 1,500 people on four continents.
She is a member of the
Board of Directors and chairs the Audit Committee for Health Alliance Plan, and
also serves on the Audit and Finance Committee for Henry Ford Health Systems,
both based in Detroit.
"I accept this
appointment with great pride, passion, and a strong belief in the power and positive
impact of public higher education," said Schatzel. "Moreover, Towson
University's commitment to academic excellence, support for faculty research, research
opportunities for students and engagement in the surrounding community strongly
resonate with me. I am excited about working with the vibrant Towson University
community."
Schatzel earned her doctoral
degree in business administration (with a major concentration in marketing)
from Michigan State University and bachelor's degree in economics and biology
from Washington University in St. Louis.
Timothy J. L. Chandler
has been serving as Towson University's interim president since December 2014
and served as the university's acting president from September to December 2014
following TU President Maravene Loeschke's leave of absence and later resignation
due to health reasons. Loeschke passed away in June 2015.
"During the past 15 months under Tim
Chandler's outstanding leadership, Towson University has kept its momentum
going," Chairman Shea and Chancellor Caret said in a joint statement. "Nothing stood
still as he led the university through this period of transition. The USM
community thanks him for his excellent service."
With Schatzel's arrival
in January, Chandler will return to his previous position as TU's provost and
vice president for academic affairs.
The selection of Schatzel
follows seven months of work by the search and screening committee appointed in
April 2015 by then-USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan. Dave Kinkopf, a member of
the USM Board of Regents and a partner with the Baltimore law firm of Gallagher
Evelius & Jones, LLP, chaired the committee comprising representatives from
TU's administration, faculty, staff, student body, and Board of Visitors. The
committee recommended finalists for consideration by USM Chancellor Caret and
the Board of Regents. The board made the final appointment.
Towson University is
recognized among the nation's best regional public institutions for its degree
programs in fields including education, communications, business, health care,
fine arts, and the sciences. Beyond the classroom, the Towson educational
experience emphasizes service learning, civic engagement, and study abroad.
More than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students are currently enrolled at
the university, which also offers courses online and at off-campus locations,
including Towson University in
Northeastern Maryland. For more information about Towson University,
visit: www.towson.edu
Contact: Anne Moultrie
Phone: 301.445.2722
Email: amoultrie@usmd.edu
