The University of Florida Presidential Search Committee has recommended U.S. Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist for the University of Florida’s 13th president.
According to his bio, Sasses received his Ph.D. from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University. Sass spent five years as president of Midland University and was also on the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin.
“It’s right for the University of Florida, right for the state of Florida and right for the Sass family,” Rahul Patel, chairman of the presidential search committee, said in a statement. “Ben brings intellectual curiosity, a belief in the power and potential of American universities, and an unparalleled track record of leadership in higher education, government, and the private sector.”
The university said the recruitment process involved “reaching out to more than 700 leaders within and beyond higher education” and that during the search, nine candidates were presidents of major research universities and seven were from AAU universities.
“The biggest challenge facing our country is the radical disruption of work,” Sasse said in a statement. “Technology is changing where, when, why, how and how Americans work — and in doing so, it is changing our homes, neighborhoods and communities. Lifelong employment in one sector will never again be the norm for most Americans, and so lifelong learning must become the norm for most Americans. Higher education will need to change and grow—and rethink its forms—again and again.”
The school said Sasse will visit campus on Monday, Oct. 10, to meet with students, faculty and other members of the university community. Participants will then be able to share their feedback with the school, which will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees prior to the Nov. 1 interview with Sasse.
Senator Sasse was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. He is expected to retire from the Senate by the end of the year.
