College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences dean Antonio Tillis has been appointed as the interim president of UH-Downtown, the UH System announced Monday, taking over the post July 2.
Tillis will be taking over the position after Juan Muñoz, who has been UHD president since 2017, was hired to be the chancellor of the University of California-Merced. A national search for UHD’s next full-time president will begin soon, according to a System statement.
Chancellor Renu Khator said of Tillis that the System is “fortunate to have an educator of his caliber in this position.”
“Dean Tillis’ passion for student success, coupled with his administrative experience and scholarly accomplishments, establish him as one of the rising stars in higher education,” she said. “His track record leading the University of Houston’s largest college, with more than 12,000 students, clearly demonstrates his ability to take on this challenge and succeed.”
Tillis, who has been the CLASS dean since 2017, said he looks forward to “continuing the admirable achievements of President Muñoz and his predecessors.”