Dr. Mark Ginsberg’s passion for education began in the 1970s while he was an undergrad at the University of New York at Cortland working towards his bachelor’s degree in psychology, when he got the opportunity to work at an elementary school as part of a practicum project.
Ginsberg has since spent the last four decades working in the fields of psychology and education with a focus on children and families and now serves as the president of Towson University, which was recently named by the Wall Street Journal as the No. 1 public university in Maryland and the No. 15 public university in the nation.
Ginsberg became one of the first Jewish university presidents at a major Maryland university when he took the job at Towson in October 2023 after 13 years at Geroge Mason University, where he had served as the provost and executive vice president since 2020. He said he was proud to come to a school with a strong legacy of education.
“Coming here was a natural fit. Education is one of the historic spires of excellence of our university. It’s always been known as the premier preparer of teachers and educators in Maryland, and one of the premier preparers of teachers and educators throughout the country,” Ginsberg said of Towson.
Ginsberg said that one of his major motivations to get involved in education was a desire to provide children and families with the resources to thrive in their lives rather than deal with the problems that arise afterwards if they don’t have that access early on.
And that’s what Ginsberg has been trying to do at Towson, which he said is reflected in the WSJ ranking due to the high social mobility and workforce development the university provides students.
Ginsberg added that the university has typically been known for its education and nursing programs, but is growing their other programs in high-demand fields to be well-rounded for students with varied interests and fill gaps in the local workforce.
“More than 90% of our students stay in Maryland after they graduate. We’re an engine of opportunity for the state,” Ginsberg said. “We’re going to continue to try to think about where the gaps are and how we can fill those gaps and meet the needs of the state, both today and in the future.”
Ginsberg also spends a lot of his time on campus interacting with students and said that the passion for the university is shared with staff across the board, which makes the school an energetic place where people want to be.
Ginsberg said that he’s able to see the great atmosphere that the school has spent years creating when he’s around the students, which is easy for him because he lives on campus with the students; the school does not have separate presidential housing.
“People are very committed who work here to the students they serve, and I think it’s an inspiring place to be,” Ginsberg said. “I’m on campus all the time. I live in a residence hall, so we are with students every day, all day, and that’s been important for me to be really connected to our students and to get the pulse of the campus on an everyday basis.”
Ginsberg also spoke on the community for Jewish students on campus and the importance of the Baltimore Jewish community in his mission to be a “president for the entire community” on campus.
Ginsberg said that the Baltimore Jewish community is unique and is very committed to the future of Baltimore Jews. He highlighted the ties that TU has with groups such as Chabad and Hillel on campus and added that the school hosts the Baltimore Hebrew Institute.
“To be integrally involved as part of a community is very important to your success. I think was important to my success as a student, was important to my success as an adult, and I know it’s important for our student success,” Ginsberg said. “Having groups like our Hillel and Chabad on campus, which bring a sense of intersection to our Jewish students, I think is very important.”
Ginsberg said that shared community across the campus was a major point of pride and has been a place where people can grow alongside the university.
He added that the university still has a tremendous amount of potential for future growth even despite the high rankings they’ve attained in the past year. Ginsberg said that over his year working at the university, he’s maintained a great excitement for work every day.
“I’ve learned to really appreciate the potential for the university to continue on this incredibly positive trajectory,” Ginsberg said. “It’s a great place. I love energy. I love the culture of the institution. I love the diversity of the institution. I love the fact that we don’t speak the language of inclusive excellence. We are a university that is driven by inclusive excellence, and whether it be the challenges of last fall and spring or the challenges of next year in the years ahead, this is a place where students, faculty and staff can really fulfill their potential.”
