Dr. Kim Schatzel named new president of the University of Louisville 

On Wednesday morning, the University of Louisville (UofL) announced Dr. Kim Schatzel of Townson University will serve as the new president of the institution.

The UofL Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Schatzel as the university’s new president in a special meeting on November 30.

She will officially assume the UofL presidency on February 1, 2023. She will succeed Lori Stewart Gonzalez who has served as interim president since December 2021 after the previous president Neeli Bendapudi left UofL to serve as president of Penn State University. Gonzalez will return to her previous role of executive vice president and university provost for UofL.

Schatzel will be UofL’s 19th president and the second woman to lead the school. She comes to Louisville with decades of experience in both the private sector and higher education. She has served as the President of Townson University, Maryland’s second-largest and fastest-growing university, as well as the largest university — public or private — in Greater Baltimore, since January 2016.

According to the Townson University website, “Schatzel is one of less than two percent of university presidents that have extensive business and private sector experience, having spent more than 20 years as a corporate leader and serial entrepreneur in the technology and advanced manufacturing sectors. As part of her new venture experience, Schatzel founded and served as the President, Chief Operating Officer, and later Chief Executive Officer of a multinational advanced manufacturing firm with more than 1,500 employees on four continents.”

Following the announcement Wednesday, Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts released the following statement:

“The Chamber is thrilled to welcome Dr. Schatzel to lead the University of Louisville. She comes with a depth of knowledge not only of higher education, but also of business, which is critical to run a state university with such a large economic footprint. As an alumni, I look forward to working with Dr. Shatzel to continue growing the partnership between UL and the Kentucky business community.”