Mark Daniel Gearan is a public servant, lawyer, higher education expert, and the president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. He previously served as a director at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, from 1995 to 1999 and served as the director of the Peace Corps. He is the longest serving president in the history of HWS, serving from 1999-2017. Gearan returned to the position in 2022.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges are private liberal arts colleges in Geneva, New York. They trace their origins to Geneva Academy established in 1797. Students can choose from 45 majors and 68 minors with degrees in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Science in Management, and Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership.