Dr. Mark Lombardi is the tenth President of Maryville University and has served since 2007. During his tenure, Maryville University has tripled enrollment to over 9,500 students hailing from 50 states and 60 countries. In 2013 and 2014, U.S. News & World Report named Maryville the #1 Overperforming University in the nation. In 2018, The Chronicle ranked Maryville as the fourth-fastest growing private university in the nation. In addition, Maryville has been ranked in the top 15% of universities nationwide for return on investment for five consecutive years. 

For nearly 30 years, at three different institutions, Dr. Lombardi has served as a tenured faculty member in political science and international relations, Department Chair, Director of International Programs, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and President. 

Dr. Lombardi has given more than 50 speeches around the nation on the need for a revolution in higher education. He has also given more than 200 interviews in the print and video media on a variety of topics related to education reform and international affairs. Dr. Lombardi has published several articles, dozens of op-eds, and four books, one of which is now in its 10th edition. His most recent work, co-authored with Joanne Soliday, is titled Pivot: A Vision for the New University (2019). 

Dr. Lombardi earned a Ph.D. and master’s degree in political science and international relations from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Purdue University.