GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The University of Florida\u2019s Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Wednesday to select Dr. Stuart R. Bell as the university\u2019s next president.<\/p>\n
Bell, who most recently served as president of the University of Alabama from 2015 to 2025, still needs approval from the Florida Board of Governors before he can officially take the role. That vote is expected at the board\u2019s June 25 meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Board of Trustees\u2019 unanimous vote today is a resounding and undeniable show of support for Dr. Stuart Bell, who is exactly the right leader at the right time for the University of Florida,\u201d said Mori Hosseini, UF Board of Trustees chair. \u201cDr. Bell\u2019s vast experience, solid character and strong leadership ability will be critical in taking UF to the very highest ranks of U.S. higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before leading Alabama, Bell served as provost and professor of engineering at Louisiana State University and as dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas. His academic roots run deep in engineering \u2014 he\u2019s widely recognized for research on natural gas and combustion engines and was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2023.<\/p>\n
He holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a bachelor\u2019s degree in nuclear engineering, both from Texas A&M University, and is a member of several prestigious professional engineering organizations.<\/p>\n
Bell says he\u2019s ready to get to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am extremely honored and humbled by the Board of Trustees vote today, and I\u2019m eager to join the Gator Nation and get to work,\u201d Bell said in a news release. \u201cThe University of Florida is exceptional in every respect, and I know there\u2019s no limit to what we can all accomplish together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rahul Patel, Board of Trustees vice chair and chair of UF\u2019s Presidential Search Committee, said Bell rose quickly to the top of a deep pool of candidates.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am grateful to the members of UF\u2019s Presidential Search Advisory Committee for selecting Dr. Bell, who is eminently qualified to be UF\u2019s 14th president,\u201d Patel said. \u201cI look forward to working with Dr. Bell as he guides the University of Florida to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bell was named the sole finalist on May 18 after UF\u2019s 15-member Presidential Search Committee reviewed hundreds of candidates. He is expected to succeed Interim President Donald Landry, though an official start date has not been announced.<\/p>\n
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