Dr. Loren J. Blanchard..........................................................University of Houston-Downtown

Dr. Loren J. Blanchard

2022 TOP EDUCATOR

Dr. Loren J. Blanchard joined the University of HoustonDowntown as its seventh president on March 15, 2021. Blanchard oversees the institution's historic downtown campus and UHD Northwest and off-site centers at Lone Star College campuses in CyFair and Kingwood.

As a passionate advocate for equity in higher education, Blanchard spearheads a safe and healthy return to campus campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also spending time during his early tenure as President at

UHD engaged in listening sessions. What is learned through these sessions will be used to establish strategic priorities for UHD that will further anchor the campus as a premier urban higher education enterprise and an engine of impact for the city of Houston. President Blanchard previously served as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs at California State University (CSU), the largest and most diverse higher education system in the United States. At CSU, he developed and administered academic and student affairs policies for the 23-campus system. He guided and supported CSU campus administrators on curricula, program design, and student services matters. President Blanchard additionally led CSU's Graduation Initiative 2025, an ambitious effort to increase graduation rates for all students while eliminating equity gaps and preparing more students to meet California's projected workforce needs by 2030. Before arriving at CSU, Blanchard served as Provost & Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. As the chief academic officer for the only historically Black and Catholic university in the United States, he led the campus in achieving several strategic milestones, including successful accreditation re-affirmations by SACS-COC, the Accreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education, and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Blanchard helped launch new academic baccalaureate programs in Public Health Sciences and Communication Studies and played a pivotal role in Xavier University, receiving a $6 million infusion of private and federal grants to strengthen high school pipeline programs and student retention programs. President Blanchard's other leadership roles have included Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Multicultural Affairs at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – New Orleans and the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Accreditation, Leadership & Accountability within the University of Louisiana System. A first-generation college graduate, Blanchard holds a bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology Education from Xavier University, a master's degree in Education from McNeese State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia.

Dr. Loren J. Blanchard President University of Houston-Downtown One Main Street Houston, TX 77002 713-221-8000 www.uhd.edu