Florida Board of Governors unanimously confirms Moez Limayem as USF\u2019s next president<\/a><\/p>\nLaw, 76, spent four years in the post after initially being selected interim president in August 2021. She was named permanently to the role in March 2022, becoming the first USF graduate to serve as president. She announced her retirement Feb. 17, 2025.<\/p>\n
In her farewell, Law described how when she first arrived on campus as an employee and student in the 1960s, USF was a \u201csmall commuter school.\u201d Under her tenure, USF has become one of the nation\u2019s leading public research schools and a member of the Association of American Universities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat kind of transformation is extremely rare in higher education, especially this quickly, and it hasn\u2019t happened by accident,\u201d Law wrote.<\/p>\n
She acknowledged this was possible due to dedication from faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors. She also acknowledged the USF Board of Trustees, the Florida Board of Governors and elected officials for their collaboration and support.<\/p>\n
Law, a longtime Tampa attorney and business leader, described how USF has been her passion for over 40 years and credited much of her success to the university shaping her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opportunity to be the first alum to serve as president over the past 4\u00bd years has been both humbling and inspiring. Working alongside our world-class faculty and staff, and witnessing the growth, resilience and achievements of our students, has been an absolute privilege,\u201d Law wrote.<\/p>\n
Law shared more of her insights about her tenure and the university\u2019s evolution on Inside USF: The Podcast. During the podcast, she said she was most surprised by how much she loved being president.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t have on my to-do list to become the president of the University of South Florida,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
At the time, Law was retiring from her law practice and was going to lead two private foundations part time. That\u2019s when she received the call that USF was looking for an interim leader. She said she immediately started suggesting other people \u2013 but the role ended up being hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been such an incredible experience for me. I came in thinking I would be here maybe four to six months \u2013 4\u00bd years later, I realized this has been the honor of a lifetime,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Law also described how one of her favorite aspects of being president were graduations. She led her final commencement in December. During her tenure, she conferred more than 59,000 degrees and led over 81 ceremonies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you see students walk across the stage and you hear their family and friends yell for them, that\u2019s so meaningful. I really loved that,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of handshaking, and it\u2019s a lot of joy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meleah Lyden is a digital news producer for WUSF, the NPR station for the greater Tampa Bay area.<\/p>\n
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