Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

I am pleased to announce that I have appointed a 16-member search committee to begin our national search for the next president of the University of Houston-Downtown. The committee will be chaired by University of Houston System Board of Regents Chairman Jack B. Moore, who will be supported by Regent Alonzo Cantu. Additionally, the Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Dona Cornell will serve as operational co-chair.

The Search Committee will be assisted by Anthem Executive and will complete its work during the summer and fall semesters, with the hope of filling the position by next spring.  I thank the committee members for undertaking this very important task. The full list of committee members is below.

Chairs:

• Dona Cornell, Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, UH System
• Jack B. Moore, Chairman, UH System Board of Regents

UH System Regent Support

• Alonzo Cantu, Regent, UH System Board of Regents

Members:

• Jason Smith, Vice Chancellor of Government and Community Relations, UH System
• Richard Walker, President, UH-Clear Lake
• Kimberly Lambert-Thomas, Vice President of Administration and Finance, UHD
• Jonathan Davis, Interim Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, UHD
• Travis Crone, Professor of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, UHD
• Ashley Blackburn, Professor and Interim Chair of Criminal Justice and Social Work, College of Public Service, UHD
• Maria Benavides, Professor of Chemistry, College of Sciences and Technology; Faculty Council Member, UHD
• Whitney Botsford Morgan, Professor of Management, Marilyn Davies College of Business, UHD
• Ashleigh Petts, Assistant Professor of English, College of Humanities and Social Sciences; 2026-27 Faculty Council Presiding Officer, UHD
• Yesenia Sanchez, 2025-26 Staff Council President, UHD
• Kemberley Osorto, 2026-27 Student Government Association President, UHD
• Zamaiah Robertson, 2026-27 Graduate and Professional Student Association President, UHD 
• Paula Mendoza, UHD Community Member

I am charging the Search Committee to (a) develop a strong and diverse pool of candidates, (b) screen eligible applicants, (c) invite finalists for campus interviews and (d) provide its assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each interviewee. I have also asked the committee to seek your input in completing its task and I ask you to please help them create a strong and diverse pool of candidates by nominating qualified individuals. The chairs will keep you informed with regular updates on the search’s progress.

UH-Downtown is an educational pillar of Houston, advancing the lives of its students, community and state. We need a strong leader who can build on its recent advancements in national rankings, graduation rates, community engagement and research. I thank you in advance for helping us find a president who will further UHD’s incredible trajectory of success.

With warm regards,

Renu Khator
Chancellor, University of Houston System