The University of Florida (UF) Board of Trustees has appointed a Presidential Search Advisory Committee to help restart the national search for a permanent president following the Florida Board of Governors’ rejection of the university’s previous nominee.
The newly formed Presidential Search Advisory Committee is composed of 16 members representing trustees, faculty, students, alumni, administrators, donors and the State University System. The group includes UF trustees, faculty leaders from research, health sciences and agriculture, the UF student body president, alumni representatives, and a member of the Florida Board of Governors.
Rahul Patel, vice chair of the UF Board of Trustees, was named chair of the advisory committee. Patel also chaired the previous presidential search committee and currently leads multiple trustee committees overseeing academic affairs and strategic communications.
Serving in an advisory role, the committee will assist an executive search firm in identifying and vetting candidates and will recommend a select group of finalists to the Board of Trustees. The trustees will interview finalists and select a president, subject to confirmation by the Board of Governors. University officials said additional information on the committee’s charge, timelines and member biographies will be posted to a dedicated presidential search website in the coming weeks.
“With the Presidential Search Advisory Committee now in place, we are moving forward with a focused and thoughtful search to identify the leader best suited to guide the University of Florida to even greater national and global prominence,” said Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees.
In June, the Board of Governors voted 10–6 to reject Dr. Santa Ono as UF president, despite his unanimous selection by the UF Board of Trustees.
Ono, then president of the University of Michigan, faced criticism from several Republican officials over his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and his handling of campus protests. The decision halted the appointment and required UF to resume its search.
Former President Ben Sasse resigned last year.
