The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to select Mark A. Thompson, Ph.D., as Wentworth Institute of Technology’s fifth president, effective June 1, 2019. Mark was unanimously recommended to the board by our cross-institutional, 15-member Presidential Search Committee. The appointment follows a national search and an intense, five-month selection process, which identified a large and diverse pool of well-qualified candidates.
Watch the video introducing Mark.
Mark comes to us from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., where he served as executive vice president and provost. Most recently, he was instrumental in establishing new engineering and medical schools there. At Quinnipiac, Mark oversaw academic affairs, student affairs, athletics/recreation, information technology, public safety and most recently admissions and financial aid. During that time, Quinnipiac grew in enrollment, stature and impact.
Mark earned a B.S. in economics and finance from Bentley University, an M.B.A. from Western New England University, and a Ph.D. in economics from Georgia State University.
He possesses the vision and track record for harnessing the visibility and support to grow an institution strategically—abilities identified by the Wentworth community as crucial for the next president. Mark’s values, strategic vision, analytical skills and leadership approach will be integral to advancing Wentworth and its mission in a competitive and rapidly changing market.
First and foremost, he has a deeply held belief that education is an equalizer in society and an important calling for all involved. He is guided by a core value of placing students and their needs at the center of decision making. His most fulfilling moments are those spent with students in the role of educator, advisor, listener and advocate. He also sees attracting and retaining a diverse student body, faculty and staff as essential to offering a top-notch education.
One of Mark’s most rewarding experiences was as a young faculty member at Morehouse College, a historically black institution. As an economist with an extensive body of research related to topics such as inequity in education, housing, the labor market and healthcare, Mark has strong analytical skills that he brings to bear in his leadership decision making.
Finally, Mark’s leadership approach is highly aligned with the institution’s commitment to shared governance. He describes his style as collaborative, transparent, ethical and genuine. Find out why he’s thrilled to be our next president.
Mark is married to Karyn Thompson, an educator of young children. They have two grown daughters, Elizabeth and Kathryn, who live in the Boston area and devote themselves to enhancing the lives of children who are ill or disabled.