Mary Dwyer, a former college professor and administrator who led the renowned Institute for the International Education of Students through a period of extraordinary growth, has joined the Board of Directors for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in English and social sciences at Mundelein College, Ms. Dwyer earned both a master’s degree in education and a doctorate in public policy analysis at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She went on to serve as a faculty member and executive associate vice chancellor for research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and has worked as a consultant and teacher with an array of U.S. and international organizations across 20 countries. As president and chief executive officer of the Institute for the International Education of Students, or IES Abroad, from 1996 to 2020, Ms. Dwyer increased annual revenue from $9.8 million to nearly $150 million, and expanded annual scholarship outlays from $200,000 to more than $6.5 million. Her numerous honors include an Indiana University Bicentennial Medal and an honorary doctorate in civil law from the University of the South, Sewanee. Ms. Dwyer currently also serves as a board director for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Direct Relief, and the Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation, among others.
“Mary has a wealth of directly relevant experience, and I am very pleased to welcome her to the Scholarship Foundation Board,” said Foundation President and CEO Barbara Robertson.
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships, having cumulatively awarded more than $137 million to over 55,000 county students since its founding in 1962. A nonprofit organization, the Scholarship Foundation also provides free financial aid advising services. For additional information, visit www.sbscholarship.org.
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