NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2007

Contact: Eric Gerber
713.743.8189 (office)
281.627.2065 (cell)
egerber@uh.edu

NEW STUDENT MEMBER OF UH SYSTEM BOARD OF REGENTS ANNOUNCED
Gov. Perry Appoints UH-Downtown Computer Science Major Christopher Sharpe

HOUSTON, February 7, 2007 – Christopher Sharpe, a computer science major at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), has been appointed regent for the University of Houston System.

Sharpe is one of nine such students who will serve as regents announced by Gov. Rick Perry. In 2005, the governor signed legislation directing each public university board of regents to include one student member. These regents will have the same powers and duties as the members of the board of regents, with the exception of voting and being counted to determine a quorum, which is the number of members necessary to start a meeting.

Sharpe’s term will run through Feb. 1, 2008. He replaces Robert Johnson, a University of Houston law student.

“We’re pleased to welcome this young student from the University of Houston-Downtown into our ranks,” said Leroy Hermes, chairman of the University of Houston System Board of Regents. “His predecessor was a productive member of the board, and we know that Christopher Sharpe will continue to make an important contribution representing the student perspective.”

Sharpe, who is from Houston and was home schooled, is the president and former vice president of the Student Government Association at UHD. He has been a member of the UHD Scholars Academy, an academically competitive program in the College of Science and Technology that promotes scholarship and student success for undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“As a regent who is also a student, I can provide a vehicle to address issues common to all campuses within the UH System,” Sharpe said. “This position will allow me to encourage the active communication and participation of students regarding system-wide concerns, and further the cooperative interaction between students and administration.”

Sharpe works as a network administrator for Lighthouse Document Solutions, where he establishes and maintains office systems and networks.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM

The University of Houston System is the state’s only metropolitan higher education system, encompassing four universities and two multi-institution teaching centers. The universities are the University of Houston, a nationally recognized doctoral degree-granting, comprehensive research university; the University of Houston-Downtown, a four-year undergraduate university beginning limited expansion into graduate programs; and the University of Houston-Clear Lake and the University of Houston-Victoria, both upper division and master’s-level institutions. The centers are the UH System at Sugar Land in Fort Bend and the UH System at Cinco Ranch. In addition, the UH System includes KUHF-FM, Houston’s National Public Radio and classical radio station, and KUHT-TV, the nation’s first educational television station.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.