Skip to main content
Florida

University of Florida zeroes in on presidential hire

On3 imageby: Keith Niebuhr05/04/25On3Keith
Santa Ono
(Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)

The University of Florida appears to have found its next president. The school announced Sunday the “University of Florida Presidential Search Committee has unanimously and enthusiastically recommended Santa J. Ono, Ph.D., to be considered by its Board of Trustees as the sole finalist to become the University’s 14th president.”

Ono, the current president at the University of Michigan, later announced his plans to leave for the same role at Florida. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors.

“I write today to share that I have been selected as the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of Florida, and once the appointment is approved by their Board of Governors, I expect to assume that role later this summer,” Ono wrote. “I have informed the Chair of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, Kathy White, of my decision. This decision was not made lightly, given the deep bond Wendy and I have formed with this extraordinary community.

Rahul Patel, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee at UF, was enthusiastic about the prospect of bringing in Ono in a school release.

Dr. Ono currently serves as president of the University of Michigan and brings a distinguished record of leadership in academia and public health across the United States and Canada. 

“On behalf of the Presidential Search Committee, I am proud to announce Dr. Santa Ono as the sole finalist to be the University of Florida’s next president,” Patel said. “Throughout an extensive and thorough process, we sought a leader who could match UF’s extraordinary momentum, understand its role as the flagship university of one of the most dynamic states in the country, and inspire our community to reach even greater heights. Dr. Ono’s proven record of academic excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice. We are confident he is the right person to build on UF’s strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future.”

Per the UF release, Ono is scheduled to visit the Gainesville campus on Tuesday for a series of public forums with students, faculty, and administrators.

“If I could select a dream candidate for the University’s next president, it would be Santa Ono,” said Kent Fuchs, University of Florida Interim President, in a school release. “His demonstrated record of success at the best universities, his leadership style, and caring personality have allowed him to work effectively with faculty, students, alumni, staff and other stakeholders everywhere he has been.  I am confident that the future of the University will be in the best of hands with Santa Ono as our leader.”

You may also like