Welcome to Towson U, Kim Schatzel!
After an eight-and-a-half hour drive, TU’s new president hits the ground running
This past Monday was supposed to be Kim Schatzel Ph.D.'s first day in the office as
Towson University’s new president. Then snow happened -- the type of winter storm
she was undoubtedly accustomed to in Michigan but probably wasn’t expecting some 500
miles away here in Maryland.
In hindsight, it was just as well, since Schatzel isn’t much of a “sitting in the
office” type of person anyway.
“I plan to walk around a lot and listen a lot,” the 59-year-old New York native said
last week when asked what she plans to do first. “Now that I’m here, I’ll get to meet
and talk to people, eat dinner on campus, and ask a lot of questions. I’m pretty externally
oriented.”
So earlier this week, as 30 inches of snow blanketed Towson and the region, Schatzel
was out and about, assessing conditions firsthand, talking with maintenance crews
and TU police, and conferring with her top staff about when it would be safe to allow
students to move in and start classes.
For Schatzel and her team, it was all about putting student safety first. Chat with
Schatzel for a few minutes and you’ll sense immediately that the “student experience”
is her top priority.
Towson University is Schatzel’s first gig as a permanent university president. Previously
she had served as interim president at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) since last
July, and as provost and executive vice president of academic and student affairs
since 2012.
Prior to joining EMU, Schatzel held several positions in the College of Business at
the University of Michigan-Dearborn from 2000 to 2012, rising to interim dean in 2007
and dean in 2008. Before transitioning to her higher ed career, Schatzel was an entrepreneur
and businessperson, serving as founding president and chief operating officer, and
later as CEO, of a multinational firm that employed more than 1,500 people on four
continents.
Throughout her professional career, Schatzel has always been a big believer in the
“power and positive impact” of public higher education, which she knows “can be transformational
for people.” That belief – combined with Towson’s commitment to academic excellence,
support for faculty research, research opportunities for students and engagement in
the community – is what first brought Schatzel to TU last November after she was contacted
about the opening.
A few weeks later, Schatzel was appointed as Towson’s 14th president and, after a
brief visit to campus in December, was ready to hit the ground running this past Monday.
Of course, that was all before “Jonas” arrived last weekend.
Fortunately for her, Schatzel actually arrived in Towson last Thursday afternoon following
an eight-and-a-half hour drive from Michigan. She was on campus in time to catch the
men’s basketball game at SECU Arena and meet “Doc” for the first time. She later displayed
a photo commemorating that special moment on her personal Twitter account.
Yes, Tiger Nation, our new president is quite active on social media!
That desire to connect and communicate is a big part of who she is. In fact, Schatzel
is a bit of a modern-day renaissance woman. In addition to her business acumen and
higher education experience, “I’m also a really good cook,” Schatzel said proudly.
“I make a ‘to-die-for’ pot roast. And I like to fix things.”
To relax, Schatzel practices yoga and enjoys running.
“Our campus is a really nice atmosphere for running,” Schatzel said. “I like to run
in charity 5Ks. I’m already signed up to run in a St. Patrick’s Day 5K this March,
so I guess I’ll need to start training! And I like to listen to music when I run.”
What’s on the iPod?
“Lady Gaga, jazz, and old Beatles.”
Schatzel is an early riser, awake by five every morning to catch up on emails and
social media while enjoying her coffee. She is more likely to respond to emails during
the first hour of the day than at night, preferring that her staff spend evening time
at home with their families rather than respond to emails from the boss.
For now, and for most of the spring semester, Schatzel and her husband will call the
Towson University Marriott home, until they’re able to settle into a house of their
own in a community close to campus. She is especially eager to experience the many
great things Towson and the greater Baltimore area have to offer, including that St.
Patrick’s Day 5K.
After all, she always intended to hit the ground running.