The board of regents of the University of Maryland system has selected Kurt L. Schmoke as the next president of the University of Baltimore. He has been serving as interim provost and general counsel at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Schmoke, who served as mayor of Baltimore from 1987 to 1999, was dean of the Howard University School of Law from 2003 to 2012.
James L. Shea, chair of the board of regents, said, “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. 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.”
In accepting the appointment, Schmoke stated, “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.”
Schmoke is a graduate of Yale University, where he majored in history and was chosen as a Rhodes Scholar. After studying at Oxford University, he returned to the United States and enrolled at Harvard Law School, where he earned his degree in 1976.
