ADELPHI, Maryland -- James L. Shea, chairman of the University System Maryland (USM) Board of Regents, today announced the board's appointment of Kurt L. Schmoke as the president of the University of Baltimore (UB), one of USM's 12 institutions. Schmoke is currently interim provost and general counsel at
Howard University. He served as dean of the Howard University School of Law from 2003-2012 and as mayor of Baltimore from 1987 to 1999. Schmoke will join UB as president in July 2014.
"Kurt Schmoke has a wealth of higher education, legal, public policy, and community service experience that will serve the University of Baltimore and the University System of Maryland extremely well in the years ahead," said Chairman Shea. "With his knowledge of the City of Baltimore and the surrounding region, he will be able to have an immediate impact on enhancing opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and the city. The Board of Regents is confident that he will be an effective and successful leader."
About his appointment, Schmoke said: "I am thrilled and honored to be selected as the next president of the University of Baltimore, an outstanding higher education institution located in a great city and a great state. Offering a high quality education at an affordable cost has been a hallmark of the university, and I am committed to continuing that tradition. I look forward to working with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends to make a great university even greater."
During the past 11 years, Schmoke has served Howard University in several capacities.
Previous to his appointment as interim provost and general counsel, he was dean of the university's school of law from 2003 to 2012. During this period, he focused on increasing bar exam passing rates and expanding the clinical law program to emphasize matters of environmental justice, fair housing, and civil rights. He also has served as Howard University's deputy provost of academic affairs and director of government relations. In his several administrative roles, Schmoke worked collaboratively with colleagues to strengthen the university's endowment, build new residential halls and a new interdisciplinary research facility, and increase undergraduate enrollment to its highest level in a decade.
"Kurt Schmoke has an outstanding record of accomplishments and he understands that the University of Baltimore's mission is closely aligned with the advancement of the city," said William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland. "He is interested in pursuing even more UB collaborations with the city and the region. Furthermore, he wants to build on the university's momentum made possible by the academic, infrastructure, and fundraising enhancements of the last several years."
From 1999 to 2003, Schmoke was partner in the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, DC. As mayor of Baltimore for three terms, from 1987 to 1999, Schmoke initiated several programs in the areas of housing, education, public health, and economic development. He supported programs that assisted the growth of higher education institutions in the city and worked to improve public schools. His previous positions include state's attorney for Baltimore City (1982-1987), assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland (1978-1981), assistant director of the White House Domestic Policy Staff (1977-1978), and attorney with the Piper and Marbury Law Firm (1981-82 and 1976-77).
Schmoke is the author of numerous articles in law journals, newspapers, and magazines focused primarily on public policy issues. He has lectured at several colleges and universities and served as a trustee of Tuskegee University, Yale University, Western Maryland College, and Loyola College, Baltimore.
Active in the community, Schmoke chairs the Board of Trustees of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and serves on the NCAA Counsel Advisory, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Hippodrome Foundation of Baltimore boards. On the corporate level, he is a member of the boards of directors of Legg Mason, Inc. and McGraw Hill Financial. He also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Schmoke received his JD from Harvard Law School in 1976 and his undergraduate degree in history from Yale University in 1971. As a Rhodes Scholar from 1971 to 1973, he received a diploma in social anthropology from Oxford University. Schmoke is married to Dr. Patricia Schmoke, an ophthalmologist. They have two adult children.
The appointment of Schmoke follows six months of work by the search and screening committee appointed by Chancellor Kirwan last November. UB alumna Marie Van Deusen, senior vice president with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and a longtime member of the UB Foundation Board of Directors, chaired the committee comprising representatives from UB's administration, faculty, staff, student body, and the UB Foundation. The committee concluded its work with its recommendations of finalists for consideration by Chancellor Kirwan and the Board of Regents. The board made the final selection.
Schmoke will succeed Robert Bogomolny, who has served as UB's president since August 2002. Bogomolny announced last September that he planned to retire this summer. During Bogomolny's tenure, the university has experienced considerable growth in enrollment, academic programs, fundraising, and campus infrastructure. For example, student headcount has grown 32.8 percent and faculty headcount has grown 33.1 percent since 2003; the university has launched 31 new academic programs since 2002. The campus master plan has brought $275 million in capital investment to midtown Baltimore and increased campus square footage by 50 percent. In 2007, Bogomolny oversaw UB's return to four-year undergraduate education with the admission of freshmen for the first time in 32 years.
"I congratulate Kurt Schmoke on his appointment, and I think this is a great choice for the future of the University of Baltimore." said Bogomolny. "The UB community has made remarkable progress during the past 12 years because of the talent and dedication of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. I am confident that Mr. Schmoke's broad background, significant experience, and impressive accomplishments will add to that trajectory. I look forward to working with him to assure a smooth transition for the campus in the coming months."
Located in Baltimore's Mount Vernon cultural district, the University of Baltimore offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in business, law, public affairs, and applied arts and sciences. UB comprises four schools-the Merrick School of Business, the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Public Affairs, and the School of Law. Through its legal clinics and its centers, the university is actively involved with its surrounding communities. For more information about UB, visit: www.ubalt.edu.
UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE MEDIA RELATIONS
