The Florida Board of Governors voted 15-1 Wednesday to approve Stuart Bell as the next president of the University of Florida, concluding a search that has lasted two years. Bell, who previously served as president of the University of Alabama, expressed his commitment to the university during the meeting. "I will serve with integrity. I will serve with humility. I will serve with accountability for this group and to my Board of Trustees," he told the board. He outlined his vision to make UF the best public school in the country, saying "I sense there's a hunger for leadership. There's a hunger for this direction."
Governor Aubrey Edge, who leads First Coast Energy, cast the sole dissenting vote and expressed concerns about Bell's support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Bell directly addressed these concerns, stating "I want to be very clear and maybe we can set this aside: I'm not coming to Florida to bring DEI or woke back to the state of Florida." Bell holds a background in mechanical engineering and has held several academic leadership positions throughout his career, including serving as provost at Louisiana State University and dean of engineering at the University of Kansas.
The university has been without a permanent president since Ben Sasse resigned in 2024. The board previously attempted to hire University of Michigan President Santa Ono in 2025, but the Board of Governors opposed the decision after elected officials criticized Ono for being too liberal and supporting diversity initiatives. Bell's appointment also faced unexpected resistance from U.S. Senator Rick Scott, who criticized the university for making Bell the sole finalist in what he described as a secretive hiring process. Scott also objected to the decision to overlook interim President Donald Landry, who would receive a 2 million dollar severance package if not selected as permanent president. Board of Governors Chair Alan Levine had raised questions about whether University of Florida Chair Mori Hosseini had exceeded his authority during the hiring process.
Bell's contract will run through June 30, 2031, with an average annual salary of 2.4 million dollars, according to the Gainesville Sun. Hosseini defended the search process at Wednesday's meeting, emphasizing that the board sought more than an administrator. "From the very beginning, our board of trustees and our search committee understood that we were not simply looking for an administrator. We were looking for a leader, someone who could build on this foundation," Hosseini said.