Greetings Campus Community,

Please join me in officially welcoming Dr. Deborah E. Bordelon to the University of Houston-Downtown as our new Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. 

Dr. Bordelon will succeed Dr. Akif Uzman, who returns to his previous role as the Dean of the College of Sciences & Technology after providing quality service to the University as Interim Provost. I thank him for his many contributions over the last year.

In this position, Dr. Bordelon will serve as the Chief Academic Officer for UHD and play a pivotal role in enhancing academic excellence. As a member of the senior leadership team, she will work collaboratively with the President, Vice Presidents, and Deans to further the academic mission of the University.

Dr. Bordelon is responsible for the articulation of the University’s vision of academic distinction; the development and administration of academic programs; policies relating to instruction, curriculum, and distance learning; faculty and academic staff appointments and performance assessments; and scholarship and community service initiatives among faculty.

She joins us from Columbus State University in Georgia, where she served as the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs. Dr. Bordelon also served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Governors State University in Illinois. She earned a doctoral degree in Special Education, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Literacy, and a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education – all from the University of New Orleans.

Dr. Bordelon’s student-centered approach, passion for inclusion and transparency, and her genuine enthusiasm for the vision, mission, and core values of UHD make her the ideal addition to our leadership team. 

I hope you will give her the warmest of Gator welcomes.

Sincerely,

Loren J. Blanchard, Ph.D.
President, University of Houston-Downtown