Mark Scheinberg
Mark Scheinberg is recognized nationally as an advocate for the underrepresented and a ground-breaking educational innovator. With his 1981 acquisition of the Data Institute, a small Hartford business school, he embarked on a journey that would reimagine higher education and change the futures of countless students. Discovering that many of his students encountered difficulty transferring their hard-earned credits to four-year colleges, Mark undertook the challenge of transforming the Institute into Goodwin College. This was the first of many unorthodox steps to ensure that his “undiscovered students” — working adults and first-generation college students — received the recognition they deserved. Mark’s visionary thinking surprised the traditional world of academics. In 2002, he gave up millions in personal assets to recreate Goodwin as a nonprofit college overseen by a board of directors. This decision helped secure its future and expand degree options for students. Among Goodwin’s offerings, the nursing program became a flagship and helped eliminate the state’s alarming shortage of nurses. Comprehensive advanced manufacturing programs, an innovative magnet school system, and master’s degree offerings continued to expand Goodwin’s reputation and welcome an even wider range of learners. Another landmark occurred in 2020, when the College stepped up to university status. The following year, Goodwin University acquired the University of Bridgeport, realizing Mark’s educational vision of serving students statewide. Educational, government, and community organizations have recognized Mark’s leadership. He has promoted the greater good by serving in roles with the Accrediting Commission of Independent Colleges and Schools; Capital Region Workforce Development Board; Legislative Task Force on Teachers’ Professional Standards; Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education; Connecticut Council of Independent Colleges; New England Board of Higher Education; and Young Presidents Organization. Despite the accolades, Mark points out that students remain at the center of all he does. “Students” are prominently at the top of the University’s organizational chart, above even trustees. Of Goodwin as a community, he offers, “There’s something magical that happens when so many different people share such a common sense of mission”