The University of Florida Board of Trustees voted July 23 to confirm former president Kent Fuchs as interim president, after Ben Sasse announced his resignation last week.
Fuchs, who returned to teach electrical engineering this year after a yearlong sabbatical, has agreed to serve in the interim role starting Aug. 1, according to a university announcement.
Fuchs served as UF president from 2015 to 2023. He led the school to its highest national rankings and was remembered for his affable persona, dyeing his hair blue and orange and taking photos with students, before the end of his tenure, when he faced heat for issues surrounding academic freedom.
At the board meeting, Fuchs thanked Sasse for his leadership and wished his family well.
[Read more: University of Florida President Ben Sasse resigns]
Fuchs said he hoped to keep the university on its upward trajectory as the board sought its next leader. He also said he hoped the coming year would be one of “fun and joy.”
“I have full confidence that our board will find someone spectacular to lead us in the next era,” Fuchs said.
Fuchs announced he would step back into a faculty role in 2022. His term was marked by fondness from faculty and students, but ended on a tumultuous note. He received pushback on COVID-19 policies and the state’s involvement in the university system after professors were forbidden from participating as experts in a lawsuit against the state.
At the meeting, Sasse thanked Fuchs for his help in transitioning into the role and offered to support him on his way out.
“I just want to thank Kent for his wisdom and his love for this place,” he said.
Former UF student body president and trustee Jamal Sowell, also a former alumni board member and assistant to former president Bernie Machen, said in an email he thought Fuchs could hold the university steady.
“President Fuchs brings a wealth of experience as a university administrator, instilling confidence in the continuity of UF’s administration as the board starts the search for a new president,” he said.