The University of Florida Board of Trustees Wednesday unanimously voted to approve Stuart Bell as the school’s next President.

The move still needs to be ratified by the State University System Board of Governors, but the UF Board decided to move forward with Bell after forums between Bell and the university community in the past week. Bell is the former President of the University of Alabama.

“The Board of Trustees’ 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,” said Mori Hosseini, UF Board of Trustees Chair. “Dr. Bell’s vast experience, solid character and strong leadership ability will be critical in taking UF to the very highest ranks of U.S. higher education.”

Bell said he was looking forward to leading the Gainesville-based university.

“I am extremely honored and humbled by the Board of Trustees vote today, and I’m eager to join the Gator Nation and get to work,” Bell said. “The University of Florida is exceptional in every respect, and I know there’s no limit to what we can all accomplish together.”

While the UF Board of Trustees may be excited about the prospect of having Bell serve as the institution’s 14th President, the decision to name him as the sole finalist last month drew sharp criticism.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott ripped the decision by UF to proceed with only one finalist to fill the job vacated by Ben Sasse in 2024.

“While I don’t know Dr. Bell, it is clear to me that once again, UF has engaged in a search process that lacked any transparency or public input and failed to interview three candidates as mandated under Florida law,” Scott said in a terse letter sent to State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues last month.

The UF presidential post has been rife with controversy since Sasse’s tenure. Sasse himself was criticized for questionable expenses for employee relocation, bonuses, catering and his own pay.

UF attempted to move beyond Sasse and went through a presidential search process that ended with Santa Ono as the proposed new President in June 2025. The Board of Governors ultimately rejected Ono, who was the President of University of Michigan.

While the UF Board of Trustees favored Ono, his selection sparked intense political backlash from officials such as Scott, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Donald Trump Jr. who opposed Ono base on their perception that he was too “woke.”

The Board of Governors will likely vote on Bell’s potential UF presidency when they meet June 25.

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