Nova Southeastern University (NSU) announced on Thursday that its president, Dr. George L. Hanbury, who has served as President and CEO since 2010, will step down from his position on January 1, 2025.

Following his departure from the role, he will transition into a Chancellor position where he will help lead the establishment of the Institute of Citizenship, Leadership, and International Affairs within the university. The decision was unanimously agreed upon during NSU’s Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday.

During the trustee meeting, the Board voted to appoint Harry K. Moon, who currently serves as NSU’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, to succeed Hanbury. Moon will begin his tenure as president. the same day that Hanbury’s tenure ends.

“I’ve been considering and planning for this transition for some time now,” said Hanbury. “And I couldn’t imagine a better successor than Harry Moon. When I recruited him to the senior leadership position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer – a position I held myself for 12 years at NSU before I became President – I had this kind of opportunity well in mind. We’ve worked well as collaborators and I strongly endorse Dr. Moon’s selection by the Board.”

The trustees stated that the university will undergo a national search for its next Chief Operating Officer. Further, in alignment with the organizational shuffling, Chancellor Ray Ferrero Jr. will be named as NSU’s President Emeritus.

“My goal is to ensure NSU continues to provide a high-quality educational experience for all our students – K-12, undergraduate, graduate and professional – as we also continue to strengthen our fiscal foundations and endowment and focus on strategic growth in our research, athletics and health care enterprise,” said Moon.

NSU, a private research institution in Ft. Lauderdale, is considered a high research activity institution and consistently ranks as one of Florida’s top medical and dental schools.

Earlier this year, NSU began construction on an $80 million Center for Collaborative Research that will house an IBM supercomputer known as “Megalodon,” marking the university’s entry into a select group with access to supercomputing research capabilities.