Ph.D. Alumna Maravene Loeschke Appointed President of Towson University



Maravene Loeschke, Ph.D.


Dr. Maravene Loeschke, a graduate of Union Institute & University’s Ph.D. program, has been appointed president of Towson University, the second largest university in Maryland. Dr. Loeschke, currently president of Mansfield University, replaces Robert Caret, Ph.D., who resigned from Towson several months ago to become president of the University of Massachusetts system.

“We are very proud of Dr. Loeschke and her achievements, particularly that she is embarking on her second presidency. Her efforts as a creative and courageous leader in higher education are well known,” said Dr. Roger H. Sublett, president of Union Institute & University. “She truly emulates Union’s mission to engage every student in a lifetime of servant leadership.”

Loeschke earned both her master's degree in education and her bachelor's degree in theatre and English from Towson University, and spent more than 30 years at her alma mater moving up through the faculty ranks before serving as dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication from 1997 until 2002, when she left Towson to accept the appointment as provost of Wilkes University in Pennsylvania.

During her tenure at Wilkes, Loeschke is credited with the success of several initiatives, including shaping an undergraduate experience centered on mentorship, creating the University Diversity Action Plan, reorganizing the academic division into schools, initiating the development of learned outcomes assessments for academic programs, and increasing funding for faculty development.

Loeschke was appointed president of Mansfield University in 2006. In this role, she oversaw the development of the university's first inclusive strategic plan and the establishment of a budget dedicated to the plan's goals. In addition, she reorganized the university's administrative structure to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness, strengthened the relationship between the university and the community, and brought greater focus to diversity and inclusion on campus.

A 1975 graduate of Union’s Ph.D. program, Loeschke is active in leadership and mentoring programs for women in higher education and has also worked as a professional actress. Her awards include the Towson University Alumni Service Award and the U.S. Postal Service Martin Luther King Service Award for commitment to diversity at Wilkes University.