Blinn College experience inspires alumnus to a career in higher education administration
Daniel Villanueva has been named Vice President of Enrollment Management at the University of Houston-Downtown
January 26, 2021
A Blinn College graduate has been named the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD)’s new Vice President of Enrollment Management.
Daniel Villanueva will oversee the UHD offices of Admissions, the Registrar, Scholarships & Financial Aid, Transition Programs, Student Communications, and Testing Services beginning Feb. 1.
A Rockdale, Texas, native and 2003 graduate of Blinn, Villanueva was the first member of his family to attend college after he earned a Blinn band scholarship.
“Blinn College offered me the opportunity to learn, engage, and thrive while playing music,” he said. “In all of my education, the faculty and staff at Blinn College were the best I’ve ever had. Living in the dorms, marching in the band, engaging in student activities, and learning are some of the best memories I have of my time at Blinn College.”
Villanueva said the help he found at Blinn was instrumental in his decision to pursue a career in higher education.
“Seeing how faculty and staff could impact students, and in particular how they played a role in my development, really inspired me to do the same for future students,” he said.
After graduating from Blinn, he accepted a band scholarship from Texas Tech University.
In 2007, Villanueva returned to Blinn, this time as an administrator. He served as Director of Student Affairs until 2011, and later served as Dean of Student Services and Enrollment Management for Lone Star College. Villanueva’s career took him to UHD as the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management and Registrar and Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management.
Villanueva is a doctoral candidate in Higher Education Administration at Texas A&M University. 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.
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