Towson University names Dr. Mark Ginsberg as 15th president

BALTIMORE -- After a monthslong national search, Towson University on Wednesday announced Dr. Mark Ginsberg would be its 15th president, starting at the end of October. 

Described as "an eminent psychologist and educator with extensive experience in academic leadership," Ginsberg is the current provost and executive vice president of George Mason University in Virginia. 

The Baltimore County-based university said Ginsberg's work at GMU included reimagining undergraduate programs, expanding access to first-generation students, and investing in the school's academics and operations to boost its profile. 

Before his 13 years at Mason, Ginsberg served as the executive director and chief executive officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children from 1999 to 2010. He also spent over 20 years on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University in both the School of Medicine and the School of Education, the university said. 

Ginsberg has also been the executive director of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a senior member of the leadership of the American Psychological Association, the university said. 

"I was drawn to TU because of its mission and everything it embodies: academic innovation, personal and workforce development, inclusive excellence and community stewardship," he said in a statement. "TU is an engine for success for its students, the Greater Baltimore region and the entire state."  

His wife, Elaine Anderson, is professor emerita in the Department of Family Science in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland.

Ginsberg succeeds Dr. Kim Schatzel, who left TU in February to serve as the president of the University of Louisville.