William Flores is the fifth president of the University of Houston-Downtown, a diverse, four-year, public university located in the heart of the nation's fourth largest city.

UHD is the second largest four-year public university in Houston and the state's 13th largest public university. It is both a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution and Minority-Serving Institution and serves many first-generation college students.

In October 2009, Hispanic Business Magazine named Dr. Flores as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the country for his service to education. In November 2009, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities tapped him for its national board. He also serves on the regional advisory board of the College Board which administers the SAT exam and is a board member for Central Houston, Inc., the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Texas International Education Consortium, Innovate-Educate and Project Grad Houston.

Since he joined UHD in July 2009, the University has experience growth in online enrollment, partnerships with community colleges and physical size, expanding its downtown footprint and opening a satellite campus in northwest Houston.

Under Dr. Flores' vision and leadership, UHD is engaging more students in high-impact educational experiences such as internships, undergraduate research and capstone projects and courses. In 2011, the University was recognized as one of 16 national Examples of Excelencia by the Excelencia in Education organization. It has also been named to the U.S. President's Honor Roll for Community Service annually since 2007 and was designated a "G.I. Friendly School" by G.I. Jobs Magazine for 2011, 2012.

Prior to joining UHD, Dr. Flores served as Deputy Secretary for the New Mexico Higher Education Department. From 2001 to 2007, he served as Executive Vice President and Provost of New Mexico State University. In 2003, he served as Interim President for one year. During Dr. Flores' tenure as provost, the University increased student enrollment; expanded distance education programs, including online degrees; opened a center in Albuquerque; and dramatically increased fundraising. Before that, he served as Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Cal State Northridge, and earlier, as associate dean of the School of Social Sciences at Fresno State.

Born in San Diego, Dr. Flores attended the University of California in Los Angeles where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1970. He received his Master of Arts in Political Science from Stanford University in 1971 and his Ph.D. in 1987, also from Stanford University, in Social Theory and Public Policy, with a focus in organizational behavior and health care policy. He has been a Ford Foundation fellow, a Compton-Danforth fellow, and a Rockefeller senior fellow in the Humanities.

Dr. Flores is married to Dr. Noël Bezette-Flores, who is the Executive Director of the UHD Center of Public Service and Family Strengths.