UF Board of Trustees appoints presidential search advisory committee

The University of Florida Board of Trustees has named a Presidential Search Advisory Committee to guide the national search for the university’s next president.

The committee brings together representatives from across the UF and State University System community, including trustees, faculty, students, alumni, administrators and external stakeholders. Members were selected for their breadth of experience and their willingness to devote the time and attention required for a comprehensive search for UF’s 14th president.

“With the Presidential Search Advisory Committee now in place, we are moving forward with a focused and thoughtful search to identify the leader best suited to guide the University of Florida to even greater national and global prominence,” said Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees.

Rahul Patel, vice chair of the UF Board of Trustees, has been appointed chair of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee. A University of Florida alumnus, Patel earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from UF (BA ’94, JD ’97) and is currently serving his second term on the board. He also chairs the Board of Trustees’ committees on Academic, Faculty & Student Success, and Public Relations & Strategic Communications.

• The following individuals will serve on the Presidential Search Advisory Committee:
  •    Charles Allison, UF alumnus and IFAS representative
  •    Douglas Band, UF alumnus
  •    David Brandon, UF trustee
  •    Rebecca Brock, president, UF Alumni Association
  •    Richard Cole, UF trustee
  •    Blake Cox, UF student representative, UF student body president
  •    Dr. Luisa Amelia Dempere, UF faculty representative, Faculty Senate Chair and director of the Nanoscale Research Facility
  •    Dr. Kelly Foote, UF faculty representative, professor and co-director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases 
  •    Ed Haddock, Florida Board of Governors member
  •    Dr. Shakira Henderson, dean and chief administrative officer, College of Nursing
  •    Daniel O’Keefe, UF trustee
  •    Rahul Patel, vice chair, UF Board of Trustees
  •    Dr. Li-Ming Su, the Pete and Carolyn Newsome Professor of Urologic Oncology and chair, Department of Urology
  •    Karen Unger, UF alumnus
  •    Bill Walton, UF friend and donor 

Serving in an advisory capacity, the committee will identify and recommend a select group of highly qualified candidates to the UF Board of Trustees. The board will interview finalists and elect the university’s next president, with confirmation provided by the Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida. An executive search firm, selected by the Board of Trustees, will assist throughout the process.

Additional details about the committee’s charge and member biographies will be made available on a dedicated presidential search website, which will go live in the coming weeks.