Dr. Donald Bates was appointed as the new dean, of the College of Business, for the University of Houston Downtown, in July 2005. Dr. Bates has an excellent background in business theory, practical application, and university leadership. He has been a distinguished and dynamic academic leader, at excellent universities throughout the world. Prior to joining UHD, Dr. Bates was:

• Dean, of the College of Business and Economics, at the United Arab Emirates University, in the United Arab Emirates.
• Dean, of the School of Business and Public Administration, at California State University, Dominguez Hills, located in the Los Angeles, California, area.
• Dean, of the College of Business Administration, at Indiana State University, in Terre Haute, Indiana.
• Associate Dean, of the College of Business Administration, at California State University, Long Beach. California State University, Long Beach, had the tenth largest College of Business in the United States.

Dr. Bates has coauthored three books in the field of strategic management and has published in several strategic management journals, such as: The Long Range Planning Journal, The Journal of General Management, and The Journal of Consulting. His research also includes many papers and presentations at prestigious academic and practitioner conferences.

As a result of Dr. Bates’ applied research he is frequently invited to consult with firms, such as: ARCO, Brunswick, Citicorp, Coca Cola, Mercury Marine, Sea Ray Boats, Zebco and Zenith, in countries such as: Ireland, Belgium, England, Australia, Hong Kong, Greece, Turkey, The Philippines, and The United Arab Emirates.

Various universities along with student and civic organizations have recognized Dr. Bates’ commitment to higher education by presenting him with awards, such as: “The Excellence in Learning Award,” “The Appreciation Award,” “The Recognition Award,” and “The Dedication Award,” “The Distinguished Service Award.” Dr. Bates has also been the recipient of The County of Orange’s (CA) Outstanding Citizen Award and The Terre Haute (IN) Mayor's Award for Outstanding Service.

Dr. Bates is a proud Texan that is honored to have returned home to Texas with his family. Raised in West Texas, Dr. Bates is married to his college sweetheart, Rhonda, and they have three children; two sons: Ryan, 18 years old; Rhett, 17 years old; and a daughter Regan, 14 years old.