Cal State Long Beach will soon have a new leader.
The CSU system has tapped Loren Blanchard, the current leader of University of Houston-Downtown, to be the next CSULB president — succeeding Jane Close Conoley, who announced her retirement in November 2024 after a decade at the Beach’s helm.
CSULB announced the appointment on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
CSULB, as of the fall 2023 semester, was the second largest of the 23 California State University campuses, behind only nearby Cal State Fullerton, according to the CSU’s website. As of the spring 2025 semester, according to CSULB’s website, there were a little more than 38,700 students enrolled at the Beach.
The university is also a minority-majority campus, with more than half of enrolled students identifying as Latino. Nearly three-quarters of undergraduates receive financial assistance — and 54% of graduates are the first in their families to receive a degree from a university.
The CSU began the search for Conoley’s replacement in February, with the CSU Board of Trustees launching a Committee for the Selection of the President and an advisory committee to oversee the process.
“The committee was impressed with Dr. Blanchard’s demonstrated strategic and inclusive leadership style and strong commitment to student success,” said CSU Trustee Christopher Steinhauser, who chaired the search committee. “We have every confidence that he will lead Cal State Long Beach adeptly, collaboratively, and with integrity and vision.”
Blanchard currently serves as president of the University of Houston-Downtown — a role he’s held for the past five years — and will bring his 35 years of higher education experience to the Beach starting May 1, according to the university’s announcement.
During his presidency in Houston, Blanchard led that university through strategic plan implementation and planning; helped increase the college’s grant funding, foundation gifts, and both state and federal budget allocations; and secured support for a campus expansion, among other achievements, according to CSULB’s announcement.
Blanchard also previously worked as the CSU’s executive vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, and has held other leadership positions at universities in Louisiana, including provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Xavier University, associate vice chancellor for academic and multicultural affairs at the Louisiana State University’s Health Sciences Center, and more.
“I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled to be named Cal State Long Beach’s next president,” Blanchard said in the announcement. “CSULB is renowned for being a student-centered university that fosters a culture of holistic support, community engagement and inclusive excellence. I look forward to joining the Beach community in the transformational work it does every day to turn dreams into reality for thousands of diverse and talented students.”