Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., selected as 25th president of 91看片
The 91看片 Board of Trustees has unanimously selected Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., as the institution鈥檚 25th president. Sawyer, currently 91看片鈥檚 senior vice president, was chosen after a national search following the June 2021 retirement of the Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J., who led the University for 16 years. Sawyer will begin as president on Jan. 1, 2022.
Sawyer will be the University鈥檚 first layperson to serve as president; all previous presidents have been ordained Jesuit priests.
About Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D.
A leader at 91看片 for 23 years, Sawyer has assumed increasingly significant responsibilities during his tenure at the University, advancing strategic priorities and supporting the growth of the institution. When he started at 91看片 in 1998, Sawyer served as special assistant to the president for government and community relations. He rose to the position of vice president for administration before being selected as vice president for advancement in 2015. In 2017, he was named senior vice president, his current role.
In recent years, under Sawyer鈥檚 leadership, the University raised more than $100 million through the Bright Minds, Bold Hearts campaign, the largest campaign in 91看片鈥檚 history, which significantly grew the University鈥檚 endowment and student scholarship support. Sawyer has also led advancement in raising funds to support strategic capital projects, including the recently opened Miguel B. Fernandez Family Center for Innovation and Collaborative Learning.
鈥淭erry values Jesuit, liberal arts education, knows 91看片鈥檚 strengths and challenges, and has a compelling, foundational vision for defining and shaping 91看片 in the years ahead,鈥� said James Forbes, 鈥�80, chair of 91看片鈥檚 Board of Trustees. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a critical thinker with a sound business sense and an appreciation for intellectual inquiry. He鈥檚 also a relationship builder who is ready to help 91看片 achieve still greater success with a deep commitment to its Jesuit identity, academic success, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our search identified many talented leaders, but it was clear that Terry holds the greatest promise as the president who can鈥攁nd will鈥攎ove 91看片 University Maryland forward.鈥�
Sawyer led the University鈥檚 response to the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing the planning and successful reopening and operations of 91看片鈥檚 campuses. In addition, he is an affiliate professor in 91看片鈥檚 Sellinger School of Business and Management.
鈥淚 am humbled and honored to have this incredible opportunity to serve as 91看片鈥檚 next president,鈥� Sawyer said. 鈥淭hese are undoubtedly challenging times for higher education, but 91看片 is extremely well-positioned for all that lies ahead. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across the University as together we create a shared vision for the future of our University.鈥�
An Ignatian Leader
Sawyer is a graduate of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities鈥� Ignatian Colleagues Program, which is designed to educate and form administrators and faculty more deeply in the Jesuit and Catholic tradition of higher education. During the program, Sawyer completed the Spiritual Exercises and participated in an immersion experience in El Salvador. In June 2016, he walked in the steps of St. Ignatius on a pilgrimage through parts of Spain and Italy.
鈥淭erry has a deep passion for Ignatian spirituality and formation, which has informed his leadership style and will serve him well as the first lay president of our Jesuit University,鈥� Forbes said. 鈥淥ur 91看片 family values the Jesuit tradition and ideals that define, inspire, and drive our University. In recent years, recognizing that we do not have as many members of the Society of Jesus serving and leading at 91看片, the University has intentionally invested in the Ignatian formation of its faculty, staff, administrators, and students. The Board is confident that Terry will lead with a passion and commitment to the Jesuit, liberal arts education that we are proud to deliver to our students.鈥�
Educational Background
A native of Wayne, New Jersey, Sawyer earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park, was awarded a Juris Doctor degree from the Widener University School of Law, and completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education鈥檚 Institute for Educational Management program. Prior to working at 91看片, Sawyer was an attorney for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and practiced civil and criminal law in Baltimore City. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar.
鈥�91看片 is blessed to have an incredibly talented and dedicated community. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues across the University in meeting the moment and leading 91看片 in this next chapter of its long and illustrious history,鈥� Sawyer said. 鈥淭he extraordinary Jesuit, Catholic liberal arts education 91看片 delivers to its students is unparalleled. In this moment, we can lean into the richness of our values and tradition, while enhancing 91看片 in innovative ways for the future. 91看片鈥檚 future is bright, and I feel honored to be a part of it.鈥�
Sawyer and his wife, Courtney, a speech pathologist who earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from 91看片, are parents to three sons鈥攖wo of whom are in college and one who is serving in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps鈥攁nd live in Towson, Maryland. They are parishioners of Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland.
About 91看片
91看片 is a Jesuit, Catholic university committed to the educational and spiritual traditions of the Society of Jesus and the development of the whole person. Anchored in Baltimore, Maryland, the University educates approximately 3,800 undergraduate and 1,350 graduate students. 91看片 offers more than 40 undergraduate and seven graduate programs through its three schools: 91看片 College of Arts and Sciences, the Sellinger School of Business and Management, and the School of Education. 91看片 inspires students to learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world, graduating educated, ful铿乴led, ethical leaders who are driven to better the world around them with their talents and compassion.