Daniel Villanueva Named UHD V.P. of Enrollment Management
By Mike Emery
Daniel Villanueva has been named the University of Houston-Downtown’s new Vice President of Enrollment Management. He will officially assume this role on Feb. 1, 2021.
Villanueva will oversee the offices of Admissions, the Registrar, Scholarships & Financial Aid, Transition Programs, Student Communications and Testing Services.
“I am thrilled that Daniel Villanueva will be taking on the role of Vice President for Enrollment Management here at UHD,” said Dr. Eric Carl Link, Senior Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs and Provost. “He has been a vital member of our enrollment team, and is an outstanding leader with an unrivaled commitment to the students of UHD.”
Villanueva, currently UHD’s Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, joined the University in 2017. Prior to his current role, he served as Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management & Registrar.
“I’m humbled and honored to accept this opportunity,” Villanueva said. “Interim President Dr. Antonio D. Tillis and Provost Link are two phenomenal leaders whom I’m excited to work with in leading UHD’s enrollment.”
He will succeed Dr. Jimmy Jung, who is departing the institution to serve as Vice President of Enrollment Management at Rowan University in New Jersey.
“We are grateful for Dr. Jung’s contributions to UHD,” Link said. “Since his arrival, he has provided steady leadership over Enrollment Management and has been a valuable member of our community. We wish him well on future endeavors.”
Villanueva’s professional higher education experience began at Blinn College, where he served as Director of Student Affairs. He later served as Dean of Student Services & Enrollment Management for Lone Star College. He is a doctoral candidate in Higher Education Administration at Texas A&M University and is scheduled to defend his dissertation in January 2021. He holds a Master of Liberal Arts in Psychology from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas Tech University.
“I am looking forward to working with him over the coming months and years, and under his leadership I expect that our enrollment at UHD will continue to grow and thrive,” Link said. “He is an administrator with dedication and drive, and I am confident that he is the right choice for leading UHD into the future.”
This fall, the University achieved record enrollment with 15,251 students and Villanueva looks to build on this momentum in 2021.
“UHD’s Enrollment Management team and the entire University has aligned to streamline enrollment and maximize access to students within the Houston region,” Villanueva said. “We will continue to be innovative, creative, and incorporate technology to ensure our students have an excellent experience with enrollment at UHD.”
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
