The university is undertaking a national search to find President Kent Fuchs’ successor.

A 15-member presidential search committee — chaired by UF trustee Rahul Patel (BA ’94, JD ’97) and consisting of alumni, faculty, students and other stakeholders — was announced in March. In April, a group of search advisors was named, including President Fuchs. The university is also planning to launch a website soon to keep the Gator Nation updated on the committee’s progress and include information for prospective candidates about the university, listening session schedules and other information.

The executive search firm SP&A, which recently led successful presidential searches for UCF and FSU, is assisting UF. In the months ahead, the firm will bring forward recommendations of candidates to the search committee. The committee will recommend a short list of finalists to be interviewed by the UF Board of Trustees. The trustees will then select a candidate.

“Our goal is to select the best president for the University of Florida,” Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini said. “We’re going after the most successful people who can lead our university to the next level.”

Calling it a “momentous and transformative time” for UF, Hosseini added, “The next president will have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead Florida’s flagship university in its quest to be … among the most prominent and influential universities in the country.”

In January, Fuchs released a video sharing his plans to step down as president in late 2022 or in early 2023 to become a professor in the Wertheim College of Engineering.

“When I was appointed in 2014, I was asked to make three commitments,” he said in the video. “First, that I would work to raise the stature of UF to be among the nation’s Top 10 public universities. Second, that UF would launch and complete a $3 billion fundraising campaign. Third, that UF would not increase its tuition while I served as president. Those promises were made and those promises were kept.”