Editor’s note: This is a developing story and will be updated with comments from Wednesday’s selection of Bell.
The University of Florida Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Wednesday to select Dr. Stuart Bell as the university’s 14th president, subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors.
The vote comes several weeks after the UF Presidential Search Advisory Committee unanimously recommended Bell, former president of the University of Alabama, as the sole finalist for the position and a week after Bell took part in a series of public forums with students, faculty and staff on campus.
At the forums, Bell shared his vision for the university. The forums came even as Florida Senator Rick Scott questioned UF’s search process and $2 million interim contract.
The search for the university’s next president came after former UF President Ben Sasse resigned in 2024. Following a search process, UF announced Dr. Santa Ono, then president of the University of Michigan, as its sole finalist.
Ono received unanimous approval from the UF trustees before failing in a 10-6 vote before the Florida Board of Governors. That denial forced UF back into search mode, with an interim stint by former UF President Kent Fuchs and then installation of Dr. Donald Landry as interim president.
In a released statement, UF Chair Mori Hosseini said Bell’s experience, character and leadership will take the university to the highest ranks of U.S. higher education.
“The Board of Trustees’ unanimous vote today is a resounding and undeniable show of support for Dr. Stuart Bell, who is exactly the right leader at the right time for the University of Florida,” Hosseini said in the release.
The UF Board of Trustees has voted unanimously for the last five presidents-elect.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.