The University of Houston System Board of Regents has named Loren James Blanchard to become the seventh president of the University of Houston-Downtown. He will take office on March 15.
The University of Houston-Downtown enrolls about 13,000 undergraduate students and more than 1,500 graduate students according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 18 percent of the undergraduate student body.
“It is an honor to be officially appointed as the seventh President of the University of Houston-Downtown,” said Dr. Blanchard. “I look forward to working alongside UHD’s faculty, staff, and students in growing stronger this remarkable university and addressing the higher education needs of the region. UHD is indeed an institution on the move, and I am proud to be a part of its ongoing journey.”
Dr. Blanchard has been serving as executive vice chancellor for academic and student affairs for the California State University System. Earlier, he was provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Xavier University in New Orleans. Prior to coming to Xavier University, Dr. Blanchard was the chief academic officer for the University of Louisiana System in Baton Rouge and for the Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans.
Dr. Blanchard is a graduate of Xavier University. He holds a master’s degree in educational administration from McNeese State University in St. Charles, Louisiana, and a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Georgia.
