The University of South Florida Board of Trustees today unanimously voted to select
Moez Limayem (pronounced Mow-ezz Lee-may-yem) as the university’s ninth president.
Limayem currently serves as president of the University of North Florida and was the
Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business at USF for 10 years.
His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors (BOG),
which oversees the State University System.
“Dr. Moez Limayem is an outstanding leader, who brings a unique combination of deep
ties to the University of South Florida and Tampa Bay region, valuable experience
as a university president in our state and a strong record of accomplishments in student
success and engagement, research excellence, fundraising, corporate partnerships and
much more,” said USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford, who also shared an
extended message with the university community. “Dr. Limayem brings a palpable energy and enthusiasm
to every room he enters, and he is fully aligned on our vision for USF Athletics and
the transformational impact of our new on-campus stadium. Under his leadership, we
are poised to build on our momentum as a member of the prestigious Association of
American Universities and further capitalize on our location in one of the most vibrant
and fastest-growing regions in the country.”
The USF Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve Moez Limayem as USF’s ninth
president
President-elect Moez Limayem
BOT Chair Will Weatherford, President-elect Moez Limayem and Mike Griffin, chair of
the Presidential Search Committee
Limayem’s 3 1/2-year tenure at UNF has been filled with significant achievements and
milestones. This year, UNF welcomed the largest incoming class of students in its
history, leading to its highest overall enrollment since being founded in 1972. UNF
also recently set an institutional record with its first-year student retention rate.
With a strategic focus on community and corporate partnerships, UNF is No. 1 in the
state for the highest percentage of bachelor’s graduates employed in Florida.
During his time at UNF, Limayem has been recognized by Florida Trend as one of the
state’s 500 most influential business leaders, by the Jacksonville Business Journal
as an Ultimate CEO and he received an award from the National Academy of Inventors
for his many contributions to innovation and invention.
While dean at USF, Limayem and his team raised more than $126 million in private donations
for the college, including a $25 million gift from Pam and Les Muma in 2014, which
at the time was the largest individual gift in the university’s history. He also led
key efforts to enhance career preparation and placement, internships and talent development
of students. In addition, Limayem was named among the Power 100: Tampa Bay’s Most
Influential Business Leaders of 2022 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. In November,
he is slated to be inducted into the First Coast Business Hall of Fame.
“I am honored and humbled to be unanimously selected by the USF Board of Trustees.
Serving as USF president would be the greatest honor of my professional life,” Limayem
said. “My family and I love USF and the Tampa Bay region, and I am thrilled by the
prospect of returning home. As I was reminded during my visit to each USF campus last
week, it is truly a special community.”
Earlier in his career, Limayem served as the associate dean for research and graduate
programs at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business and Edwin
& Karlee Bradberry chair in information systems. He earned his MBA and doctorate from
the University of Minnesota.
His wife Alya, a UNF faculty member of biology, is a renowned researcher who holds
multiple U.S. patents, was named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors
last year and was recognized as a 2024 Rising Star of the Academy of Science, Engineering
and Medicine of Florida. The couple has two children.
USF’s presidential search process selection followed state law and BOG regulation.
This included stakeholder input; the development of a position profile; marketing
of the position; identifying and screening the most qualified candidates; recommending
a finalist to the Board of Trustees for consideration; and holding on-campus meetings
with members of the university community.
The BOG is currently scheduled to consider Limayem’s confirmation during its meeting
on Nov. 6.