The University of Florida will celebrate Ben Sasse’s inauguration as its 13th president on Thursday in the University Auditorium.
The ceremony starts at 3 p.m. and will be open to members of the UF community and the public, but space is limited so advance registration is required. Those who cannot attend can watch a livestream of the event at inauguration.ufl.edu. The University Auditorium is located at 333 Newell Dr.
The ceremony will feature Sasse, Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees; Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida; J. Scott Angle, UF interim provost; Thomasenia Lott Adams, professor in the UF School of Teaching and Learning; Jason Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks; Gerard Duncan, senior pastor of Prayers by Faith Family Ministries; and Kevin Thorpe, pastor of Faith Missionary Baptist Church.Â
A former professor at Yale University, the University of Texas and former president at Midland University, Sasse also served two terms in the United States Senate. He holds a history Ph.D. from Yale, where his dissertation won both the Egleston and Theron Rockwell Field best dissertation prizes.
Sasse started his job as president in February, after a search and confirmation process that lasted almost a year from when a search committee was named. In October 2022, the committee named Sasse as the only finalist, and after approval from the UF Board of Trustees and UF Board of Governors, he took office.Â
As part of the inauguration celebration, UF is encouraging current and former Gators to join in community service projects and outreach activities in the week leading up to the inauguration. The university has compiled a list of Gainesville service opportunities on its website, including food pantry volunteerism, food drives, helping at homeless shelters and more.Â
Confused why a public, state funded University has 2 pastors speaking at this event. There is no need for even a single pastor (or any faith speaker) to speak at this event. I hope that a prayer with Jesus’s name as a part of it is not said.
And the faculty member has presented on “Principles of Godly Leadership in the Academy” This is all Christofascist “virtue signaling” through the whole event.