The University of Maryland has named Gustavo Flores-Macías as the next public policy school dean, effective Sept. 1.

Flores-Macías is a senior associate dean and professor at Cornell University’s public policy school, this university wrote in a news release on Thursday. He will succeed Robert Orr, who has served as dean since 2014.

As an associate dean at Cornell, Flores-Macías oversaw the development of the public policy school’s Washington, D.C. Start semester curriculum and the launch of a bachelor of arts program. Flores-Macías is also a professor in the university’s arts and sciences college. 

He joined Cornell in 2010 and has held multiple leadership positions since then.

[Wendy Powers named next agriculture and natural resources college dean]

Flores-Macías’ scholarship focuses on political and economic development in Latin America, according to the news release. He has authored three books, one of which won the Latin American Studies Association Tomassini Award in 2014.

Flores-Macías holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City. He also holds a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University and a doctorate in comparative government from Georgetown University.

[Kermit the Frog emphasizes taking chances, human connection in 2025 UMD commencement speech]

“The school’s proximity to the nation’s capital, combined with its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, renowned research capabilities and excellent student support initiatives, positions it as the perfect place to cultivate the public policy leaders of tomorrow,” Flores-Macías wrote in the news release Thursday. 

This university’s public policy school had more than 300 undergraduate students in fall 2024, according to university data.