Dr. William M. Downs

Biography

Dr. William M. Downs, an accomplished academic leader and political science scholar with more than 30 years of experience in higher education, began his duties as Campbell University’s sixth president on July 1, 2025. 

Prior to coming to Campbell, Downs was the 13th president of Gardner-Webb University. During his presidency, Downs advanced academics, athletics and student life and spearheaded major capital projects including the construction of a state-of-the-art cafeteria, an amphitheater and an indoor baseball facility. 

Downs was an elected member of the Big South Conference Executive Council, and under his leadership, Gardner-Webb revitalized its sports programs, bringing championship wins in basketball, football, tennis and soccer. Academically, Downs modernized the general education core curriculum, ultimately increasing accessibility and enrollment, while preserving the university’s faith-based identity. His leadership also guided Gardner-Webb through the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery of a devastating hurricane.

Before his presidency, Downs was dean of the Thomas Harriott College of Arts and Sciences, a professor of political science and the W. Keats Sparrow distinguished chair in liberal arts at East Carolina University from 2014 to 2019. From 1997 to 2014, he served a number of roles at Georgia State University, including area dean for social and behavioral sciences for the College of Arts and Sciences, professor and chair for the Department of Political Science, co-director for the Center for Human Rights and Democracy and director of graduate studies.

His career in higher education began at Emory University in Atlanta, where he served as a graduate teaching associate and eventually a visiting assistant professor after earning his Master’s Degree and Ph.D. from there in 1994. A native of Ralegh, Downs earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from North Carolina State University.

During his career in higher education, Downs’ research has focused on various areas of political science, including political extremism, anti-immigration movements, political parties and electoral systems and nationalism and ethno-territorial politics. He has served as a member of several regional and national political science associations and was an elected member of the executive board for the Georgia Political Science Association.