Dr. Kim Schatzel began leading Towson University as its 14th president on January 26, 2016. Her priorities strategically build on TU’s momentum as Maryland’s second largest and fastest growing university, as well as the largest university — public or private — in Greater Baltimore.

During her tenure, with more than 300 partnerships at work, TU has strengthened its commitment as an anchor institution for Greater Baltimore; established the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity and hired the university’s inaugural vice-president to lead its advancement; and embarked on a comprehensive communications strategy to retell the contemporary story of Towson University and its significant positive impact on Baltimore, Maryland, and the entire Mid-Atlantic Region.

President Schatzel is one of less than two percent of university presidents that have extensive business and private sector experience, spending more than 20 years as a corporate leader and serial entrepreneur in the technology and advanced manufacturing sectors. As part of her new venture experience, Schatzel founded and served as the President, Chief Operating Officer, and later Chief Executive Officer of a multinational advanced manufacturing firm with more than 1,500 employees on four continents.

Schatzel began her academic career as an Assistant Professor of Marketing for the College of Business at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She served as the College’s Associate Dean starting in 2005 and as its Dean from 2008-2012. Schatzel served from 2012-2016 as the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Eastern Michigan University. She retained that role while guiding the university as its Interim President for six months.

Schatzel serves on the Board of Directors for the University of Maryland St. Joseph's Medical Center, the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, CollegeBound Foundation, Greater Baltimore Committee, Greater Economic Alliance of Baltimore and the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education.

She is a member of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and the Presidents’ Trust of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU).

President Schatzel was honored by the Associated Black Charities as the 2017 “Champion for More in the Middle” for her leadership in advancing diversity and inclusion at TU.

In 2020, President Schatzel was honored with the Whitney M. Young Jr., Award. Given by the Board of Directors of the Urban League affiliates across the country, the award is in memory of the great civil rights leader and former head of the National Urban League. The award honors members of the Baltimore community committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in our region and state. Her contributions to and leadership in Maryland have been recognized by The Daily Record, which named her one of the 2017 Most Her contributions to and leadership in Maryland have been recognized by The Daily Record, which named her to its inaugural Power 100 list in 2021 and as one of its Most Admired CEOs in 2017 and 2022.

President Schatzel has also been recognized by the publication as one of the Most Influential Marylanders in both 2017 and 2021; in its 2018 Icon Honors; and its Power 30 Higher Education list in 2021 and 2022. She is a three-time honoree as one of the Top 100 Women in Maryland, for which she has been named to the newspaper's Circle of Excellence.

President Schatzel holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and Technology, from Michigan State University. Her research interests focus on product innovation, new product success, and marketing communications.

(taken from https://www.towson.edu/about/administration/president/meet/)