Dear Gators,

By now, you have heard the news that I will be departing the University of Houston-Downtown this summer to serve as Chancellor at the University of California Merced.

The decision to depart this incredible institution was not made easily. Since my arrival at UHD, I have had the privilege of working alongside remarkable professionals and meeting among the most talented and ambitious students anywhere in higher education. Together, we have worked to grow and enhance the University and have made tremendous progress. We achieved record enrollments, increased retention and graduation rates to their highest levels, completed UHD’s largest fundraising campaign and the campus will expand further will the arrival of the Student Wellness and Success Center. These are significant accomplishments for any university, and they happened here because of your hard work.

We’ve called Texas home for almost twenty years, and I was fortunate to arrive in Houston at a time when many great things were happening … including the growth of our university. Houston and UHD will remain a very special place for my family and I.

I’ve learned much from the UHD Community … including a renewed sense of resilience, determination, dedication … what I’ve termed as Gator Grit. I will always remember how these important qualities traits have helped influence my return to California.

While I will depart campus later this summer, I look forward to touching base with many of you before that date. Please know that I will remain a Gator at heart and wish UHD nothing but the best in its future endeavors.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz
UHD President