GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Board of Governors confirmed Stuart R. Bell as the 14th president of the University of Florida, effective immediately, completing a national search and setting a new direction for one of the nation’s leading public universities.
Bell’s confirmation followed his unanimous selection by the UF Board of Trustees and the unanimous recommendation of the UF Presidential Search Advisory Committee.
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“Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees, said Bell has “fully embraced our Board of Trustees’ vision of leading UF to become one of the top three public universities in the nation.”
“With Bell’s steady hand at the helm and with his vast experience, there is no limit to what the University of Florida can accomplish,” Hosseini said.
“I’m ready to get to work,” Bell said. “The University of Florida is an extraordinary institution with exceptional talent, remarkable momentum and limitless opportunity. I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters as we continue building one of the world’s great public universities.”
Rahul Patel, vice chair of the UF Board of Trustees and chair of the UF Presidential Search Advisory Committee, congratulated Bell and praised the committee’s work.
“I congratulate Stuart Bell and welcome him to the Gator Nation,” Patel said. “The Presidential Search Advisory Committee conducted a comprehensive, thoughtful and rigorous search. I am deeply grateful for their dedication and am confident that we have selected exactly the right leader for UF at this important time in its history.”
Bell served for a decade as president of the University of Alabama, where he oversaw record growth in research, student success and fundraising.
An inauguration for Bell is planned at the university later this year.