University of Florida President Ben Sasse cast his vision for the future during his inaugural address on Thursday, pledging to make the school a technological leader during the disruptive decade ahead. 

Sasse’s inauguration, which came eight months after he took office, drew a crowd of more than 700 to the historic University Auditorium, including students, faculty, staff and local dignitaries. More than a dozen elected officials also attended, including Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez. 

“I told the board of trustees that we would find a leader who loves higher education and thinks outside the box,” Mori Hosseini, chair of UF’s board of trustees, said during the ceremony. “We will be bold. Is it any wonder why he was the unanimous choice of the presidential search committee?” 

In his inaugural address, Sasse said he believes the digital revolution will upend higher education within the next decade. He said too much of higher education is resisting technological advancements, but that institutions need to build on their legacy while embracing new advancements. He said UF is perfectly placed to lead by example. 

“This should be an extraordinarily fascinating moment to be in the teaching and learning business,” Sasse said in his address. “That is, to be in higher education. This shouldn’t be daunting, this should be exciting.” 

Sasse said institutions across the nation need to stop seeing Ivy League-type universities as an unreachable level of education, and that the University of Florida has already differentiated itself by reaching elite levels without becoming “elitist.” 

Jason Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks, introduced Sasse at the inauguration. He said public universities have long had the ability to lead in the technology industry, and claimed UF is full of “risk-takers,” including Sasse, who can lead to more spearheading in the technology sector. 

Interim Provost Scott Angle and Professor of Mathematics Education Thomasenia Lott Adams also spoke at the event. Kent Fuchs and Bernie Machen, presidents emeritus, were present to aid in the installation and presentation of the symbols of office. 

During his address, Sasse also announced a “lightning round” of pledges he plans to carry out in his time at UF. He promised to make practical majors more practical, to refine and innovate core curriculum so all students wrestle with big ideas, to defend tenure, to better compensate and support research team leaders and to hire faster. Sasse also emphasized a commitment to transparency with UF’s funds, to pioneer new models of personalized education delivery through partnerships, and to promote internships and study abroad experiences. 

After the inauguration, Sasse told reporters that in his first eight months in office, he has found it challenging to work with a budget that is more focused on healthcare than education, but his goals remain. 

“Perhaps most importantly, we will work hard to live out the reality that souls cannot be compelled, only awakened and nurtured, enlightened and persuaded” Sasse said. “We will be intellectually curious. We will challenge orthodoxy and embrace open inquiry. We will pull apart the best arguments with the best questions, and then we’ll build them back up, and then we’ll start over again.” 

Sasse formerly taught at Yale University, the University of Texas and Midland University, where he also served as president for five years. He was twice elected as a United States Senator for Nebraska, stepping down early this year to start as UF’s president. 

Sasse came to UF in February, after almost a year-long search and confirmation process. In October 2022, the Presidential Search Committee named Sasse as its only finalist, and after approval from the UF board of trustees and board of governors, he took office as the university’s 13^th president. 

Sasse’s first visit to campus last year was marred by student protests, but there were no such incidents at Thursday’s inauguration, which had visible police presence in and around the venue. 

Sasse holds a history Ph.D. from Yale, where his dissertation won both the Egleston and Theron Rockwell Field best dissertation prizes. 

Without former experience with Gainesville or UF, Sasse said he is still in the “puppy love” phase of getting to know campus, constantly discovering new elements of the university. He said he was not looking for a university presidency, but that a handful of UF trustees and “winsome, tireless believers” persuaded him that this university was a cause he needed to join.