JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Moez Limayem, the current president of the University of North Florida, announced Tuesday that he has been named the sole finalist to become the ninth president at the University of South Florida.
UNF said Limayem notified the school of the announcement on Tuesday morning. USF also posted the news to its website.
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The decision to select Limayem, who spent 10 years as a dean at the Tampa-based college before becoming president at UNF in 2022, was made by USF’s Board of Trustees; however, the decision must be confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors before it is finalized.
If confirmed by the BOG, Limayem will replace current president Rhea Law, who has held the position since 2022. Law is the first USF graduate to serve as university president.
“While this presidential news is significant, I continue to cherish every moment at UNF,” Limayem said in an email sent out to the UNF community. “I am always proud when I hear stories about how UNF and our alumni help strengthen our community.”
In its post about the news, USF listed Limayem’s achievements that he accrued while serving as president of UNF, which include:
- Leading school to highest overall enrollment rate since its founding in 1972
- Helping UNF set an institutional record for first-year student retention
- Making UNF the No.1 school in Florida for highest percentage of bachelor’s graduates employed in the state
- Recognized by Florida Trend, Jacksonville Business Journal as an influential business leader
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“[Limayem] brings a strong track record of presidential success in Florida in his current role, and we experienced the impact of his leadership firsthand when he led our Muma College of Business. We are confident that Moez is the right person to accelerate our momentum and lead us to even greater heights in the next chapter of our university,” USF said.
No announcements have been made regarding potential candidates to fill Limayem’s shoes if he is confirmed as USF’s next president.
USF said its next potential president will be visiting the school for public forums, and will announce a schedule for those events in the “coming days.”