Kim Schatzel

Dr. Kim Schatzel became the 19th permanent president at the University of Louisville on Feb. 1, 2023.

Schatzel has served as president of Towson University since January 2016, where she is touted as advancing 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 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.

She 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 to 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 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 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 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 Maryland business publication The Daily Record, which named her one of the 2017 Most Admired CEOs, and recognized her with its 2018 Icon Honors. She’s been named to the Most Influential Marylanders list in both 2017 and 2021.

In 2021, President Schatzel was included in The Daily Record’s inaugural Power 100 list and its Power 30 Higher Education list.

Also in 2021, she was named for the third time to The Daily Record's Top 100 Women in Maryland list.

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. She earned her bachelors degree from Washington University in St. Louis.