Hobart and William Smith President Mark D. Gearan exemplifies the strongest attributes of the Colleges he serves: civic engagement, global awareness, a focus on the 21st century and a commitment to students.
President Gearan’s appointment to Hobart and William Smith in 1999 made him one of the nation’s youngest college presidents. In the course of his tenure, he has reinforced the Colleges’ commitment to academic rigor, global understanding, study abroad opportunities, community service and service-learning, with the goal of providing these elements through contemporary facilities and state-of-the-art technology.
When named president, Gearan was serving as director of the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C., a post he assumed in 1995. Under his leadership, the Peace Corps experienced a resurgence of interest. The Colleges have similarly progressed under his guidance.
At the close of his first year on campus, President Gearan began the development of a five-year strategic planning initiative, HWS 2005. He is leading the next phase of the planning initiative, HWS 2005, as well as Campaign for the Colleges, the $160 million capital campaign now underway. These plans have greatly expanding the Colleges’ facilities for academic, athletic and residential life.
In addition, President Gearan established the President’s Forum lecture series, which brings national and international speakers to campus. Recently, he added his voice to the airwaves as host of the President’s Radio Series, sponsored by the Current Affairs House (a student residence) and WEOS-FM, the campus radio station.
On campus, President Gearan stays connected with students, participating in campus and community service projects. He is a member of the political science department and is a frequent presence in the classroom as a lecturer and instructor. In addition to regularly attending dinners at student residence halls and fraternities, he and his wife, Mary Herlihy Gearan, frequently host events in their home.
President Gearan serves on the boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Corporation for National and Community Service, The Partnership of Public Service and as Chair of the Annapolis Group. He is also a member of the Leadership Council of ServiceNation. He is the past chair of the National Campus Compact.
Outside of the education and service arenas, President Gearan has been active on the advisory board of The Presidential Appointee Initiative, a project of the Brookings Institution that has worked to revamp the process through which U.S. Presidential appointees are chosen. He was named to the Board of Directors of the not-for-profit New Jobs for New York, designed to encourage economic development and spur job growth throughout New York State. Locally, he serves on the Board for Jobs for Geneva, Advisory Council to the Happiness House Foundation and the Advisory Council for the Geneva Community Center.
Prior to his Peace Corps directorship, President Gearan served at the White House as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications, as well as Deputy Chief of Staff during the Clinton administration. During the 1992 presidential campaign, he was Al Gore’s campaign manager, segueing to the position of Deputy Director of President-elect Clinton’s transition team.
A native of Gardner, Mass., President Gearan earned his B.A. in government cum laude at Harvard University and his law degree at Georgetown University. He is also the recipient of 12 honorary degrees.
President Gearan resides on campus with his wife, Mary Herlihy Gearan, and their two daughters, Kathleen and Madeleine.
The former director of the Peace Corps, President Mark D. Gearan believes that service learning and study abroad are key to developing global citizenship.
A well-known face around campus, President Gearan can frequently be found participating in community service projects with students or lecturing about political science in a classroom.
During the Clinton administration, President Gearan served at the White House as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications, as well as Deputy Chief of Staff.
The President's Radio Show offers HWS community members a unique opportunity to engage in one-on-one conversation with some of the nation's leading thinkers, including Representative Louise M. Slaughter, Maralee Schwartz, John King and Hugh Hewitt.
The President's Forum Series brings to campus important politicians, intellectuals and social activists such as presidential candidates Alan Keyes and Ralph Nader; journalists Helen Thomas, Sam Donaldson and George Stephanopoulos; newsmakers Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, David Gergen and Andrew Cuomo.
While serving as Director of the Peace Corps, President Gearan opened programs in South Africa, Jordan, Mozambique and Bangladesh and returned volunteers to Haiti after a five-year absence. He also created the successful Crisis Corps, which sends volunteers to crisis areas to help during emergencies.
