University of Florida plans to hire school president Santa Ono away from University of Michigan

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida plans to hire school president Santa Ono away from the University of Michigan.

Ono was recommended as the search committee's only finalist to be considered by the board of trustees on Sunday night.

''Dr. Ono's proven record of academic excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice,'' said Rahul Patel, chair of the school's presidential search committee.

The school's board selects the president and the appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors, per state law.

Ono is expected to be on campus Tuesday for a series of opportunities to connect with students, faculty, and administrators.

''Few moments in higher education are as exciting as this one at the University of Florida,'' Ono said. ''No other public university combines UF's momentum, its role as the flagship of one of the nation's most important states, the extraordinary support from state leaders, and a shared vision across its entire community."

Ono is set to replace Kent Fuchs, who became the school's interim president last summer after ex-U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse stepped down. Sasse left the U.S. Senate, where he represented Nebraska, to become the university's president in 2023.

Sasse announced in July he was leaving the job to focus on his family after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy.

Soon thereafter, there were reports that Sasse gave six former staffers and two former Republican officials jobs with salaries that outstripped comparable positions and spent over $1.3 million on private catering for lavish dinners, football tailgates and extravagant social functions in his first year on the job.

The amount was about double the spending of his predecessor, Fuchs, who was brought back to head the university on a temporary basis.

''If I could select a dream candidate for the University's next president, it would be Santa Ono,'' Fuchs said. ''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."

Nearly three years ago, the University of Michigan hired Ono after he led the University of British Columbia. He previously served as president of the University of Cincinnati and senior vice provost and deputy to the provost at Emory University in Georgia.

As U.S. colleges pull back on diversity, equity and inclusion practices as they respond to the Trump administration's orders against diversity practices, the University of Michigan was among the first schools to make major DEI rollbacks to avoid federal scrutiny. Ono had said the school will find other ways to support students, including an expansion of scholarships for low-income students.

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