Mary Scott was born and raised in Chicago and was fortunate to participate in organized athletics in elementary school, high school and college. Mary graduated from Concordia University in Chicago with a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education with a Physical Education major.

After graduation, Mary was hired as a physical education teacher and coach at Martin Luther High School, Maspeth, NY. While there, Mary was chair of the physical education department, began the girls' volleyball and taught health courses. She also assisted the girls' basketball team. During this time, Mary completed her master's degree in Athletic Administration from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York.

In 1984, Mary was hired by St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, a participant in the NCAA Division 1, as the head coach of the women's volleyball team.

Mary was hired as a member of the faculty at Concordia University Irvine (then Christ College Irvine) in 1985. As a member of the faculty Mary, designed and wrote courses for the exercise and sport science major and the sport management program. She taught all level of courses within the major and the program as well as for Concordia University Educational Network (CUENet) and the school of education.

Mary's goal was to build the women's intercollegiate athletic program. For three years she was the head coach of the women's volleyball and basketball teams and was appointed Athletic Director in 1988. As Athletic Director, Mary oversaw the successful development of the intercollegiate athletic program, led the institution's entrance into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). She oversaw all aspects of the athletic department including hiring, sports information, athletic training, game management and facilities; and developed fundraising initiatives, including two golf tournaments and summer camp programs.

In 1996 Mary was appointed as Vice President for University Services where she supervised all contracted services for the campus including bookstore operations, copy services, facilities, and food service; supervised campus security operations including transportation and emergency preparedness; oversaw the design and construction of two residence halls, the campus student union, new outdoor fields for athletics and students, and re-models of two existing buildings into faculty office space. During this time she continued to teach courses in Exercise and Sport Science and Educational Leadership and wrote course content for use on Blackboard and WebCT. She earned her doctorate in Education from Pepperdine University. The title of her dissertation is, "Critical Factors Used as Criteria for the Selection of Qualified Candidates, Particularly Women, for the Position of Athletic Director in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics."

In 2000 Mary was appointed Vice President for Administration. In addition to her duties in University Services, Mary oversaw the hiring and termination of all staff and faculty; oversaw the design of Grimm Hall, the new campus administrative and classroom building which opened in March, 2006; represented the university in the community; continued to teach courses in Exercise and Sport Science and Educational Leadership; and served as a lead instructor for the Concordia University – Shenzhen (China) Education Bureau (SEB) educational partnership.

Currently serving as Executive Vice President of the University and Provost since 2006, Mary supervises five deans, the associate provost, the registrar's office, the office of global programs, department chairs, 97 full-time faculty, over 220 part-time faculty, the library, and various members of the staff. She leads faculty searches, hiring, development, rank and contract processes; oversees the academic governance of the institution including significant re-structuring and committee elimination during the 07-08 academic year; oversees the accreditation process; leads the development of new academic programs from inception, accre

Mary has been honored to have been selected as the NAIA District 3 Athletic Administrator of the Year (1990 – 1991 and 1991- 1992) and inducted into the Concordia Irvine's and Concordia Chicago's Athletic Halls of Fame.