Mark Daniel Gearan (born September 19, 1956)[1] is an American lawyer and the president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.

[6] Gearan's early interest in politics began when he helped distribute leaflets in Jesuit priest Robert F. Drinan's campaign for Congress on a strong anti-Vietnam War platform in 1970.

"[10] Gearan added that Bush had falsely accused Dukakis of opposing the Stealth bomber and the D-5, a nuclear missile used on the Trident submarine.

[19] However, Gearan was supported by other returned volunteers, including Donna Shalala, Clinton of Secretary of Health and Human Services, who had served in the Peace Corps in Iran and who addressed the NPCA at their annual meeting on August 4, 1995, in Austin, Texas.

[22] President Clinton, in China for a state visit, said, "This agreement represents an important step forward in building the bonds of friendship between the American and Chinese people.

As in the other 80 countries where they work, Peace Corps Volunteers in China reflect the finest traditions of Americans' idealism and pragmatic approach to assisting others.

"[24] However, the initiative failed to gain political traction or substantially increased funding in Congress and by the end of Clinton's term in office, the number of volunteers had made it to about 7,100.

[30] At the close of his first year at Hobart and William Smith, Gearan began the development of a five-year planning initiative called HWS 2005.

[31] A July 13, 2014, New York Times article detailed a case in which a Hobart and William Smith freshman reported a sexual assault by three students two weeks into her first year.

Within two weeks, the college's investigation cleared the two men accused, despite medical evidence and a corroborating witness to one of the incidents and discrepancies in the alleged perpetrators' accounts of the evening.

The story also alleged the members of the disciplinary panel that heard the case were uninformed about sexual assault and frequently changed the subject rather than hear the victim's account of events.

[32] Gearan issued a response on July 13, 2014, stating that "even though we believe we handled the circumstances fairly and within the constraints of the law, and that we made decisions based on the evidence, there is no sense of satisfaction other than the knowledge that we treated everyone with compassion, kindness and respect."

He went on to state that "HWS officials met with the Times reporter for two lengthy interviews and answered numerous questions via e-mail and phone, all in an effort to fully explain our approach and philosophy regarding sexual assault cases" and stated that "information that was provided to the Times reporter [was] largely missing from the article" and that transcripts of the hearings "were quoted out of context".

[33] On July 16, 2014, he issued a second response, stating that "A group of faculty, staff, students and alums are working on a thorough review of our processes for sexual misconduct cases".

[35] On April 28, 2003, the Washington Post reported that Gearan's re-appointment to the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service had been kicked back by the Bush White House.

[38] An article by the Associated Press on September 17, 2004, said that in the event of a Kerry win in the 2004 campaign for the presidency, Gearan would be a possible nominee for the post of Secretary of the Interior.