UF President Approved
UF Trustees Unanimously Approve Stuart Bell for President Amidst DEI and Transparency Concerns
Key Points
Before leading Alabama, Bell built his career in engineering academia, serving as provost and engineering professor at Louisiana State University and as dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas; the report notes he is widely recognized for research on “natural gas and combustion engines,” was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2023, and holds a mechanical engineering doctorate and a nuclear engineering bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott specifically alleged that UF violated Florida law by failing to interview three candidates and again said the process lacked “any transparency or public input.” In his letter to State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, Scott wrote: “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.”
At the Board of Trustees meeting, Bell reiterated his stance toward DEI, telling trustees: “I am not coming to Florida to bring DEI or any type of ‘woke’ back.” The article also reports he argued DEI-like efforts were common across public and private universities after 2020, aimed at helping underserved Americans pursue the “American dream,” and that he moved quickly to shut such programs down once state laws banned them.
One detailed track record cited from Bell’s Alabama tenure includes climbing national rankings, growing enrollment, improving graduation rates, achieving R1 research status, and winning “three football national championships” during his time as president.
Criticism from the state’s federal DEI posture also surfaced: the report says U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon questioned whether Bell was the right leader as Florida shifts rightward, writing on X that “Florida has led the fight to get discriminatory DEI out of our schools and universities” and that “UF deserves a president who will continue to drive those reforms.”
The University of Florida Board of Trustees voted unanimously — 13 to 0 — on Wednesday to approve Dr. Stuart Bell as its 14th president, according to News4JAX. Bell, who led the University of Alabama from 2015 to 2025, still needs final approval from the Florida Board of Governors, which is expected to vote on June 25.
The decision ends months of turmoil for UF's leadership. A previous finalist, Dr. Santa Ono, was rejected by the Board of Governors in June 2025 in what Florida Politics called an unprecedented move driven by political pressure over his DEI record. Trustees on Wednesday made clear they do not want a repeat.
Bell Pledges Top-Three Rankings and Zero DEI
Bell told trustees he has one goal: move UF into the top three of U.S. News & World Report public university rankings. He built a strong case from his Alabama record. During his decade there, enrollment surpassed 40,000 students, the university achieved R1 research status, and he led a fundraising campaign that raised over $1.5 billion, according to Florida Today.
On the issue that dogged his nomination, Bell was direct. "I am not coming to Florida to bring DEI or any type of 'woke' back, period," he told the board, according to Florida Politics. He argued DEI programs were common across universities after 2020 and said he shut Alabama's down the moment state law required it.
Rick Scott Says the Search Broke Florida Law
Not everyone is satisfied. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott sent a formal letter to State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues alleging the search was illegal. Florida law requires a search committee to submit at least three candidates. UF named Bell as the only finalist. Scott wrote that "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," according to Florida Politics.
UF trustees defended the sole-finalist approach. They called it a necessary response to the political chaos that killed the Ono search. Board Chair Mori Hosseini said the board would not "give in" to outside pressure and called Bell "exactly the right leader at the right time," according to NWF Daily News.
Federal Officials Apply Their Own Pressure From the Right
Even conservatives outside Florida pushed back. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon posted on X that "Florida has led the fight to get discriminatory DEI out of our schools and universities" and said UF "deserves a president who will continue to drive those reforms," according to Florida Today. Her post raised questions about whether Bell's past DEI record made him the right fit.
Hard-right activists circulated research showing Alabama maintained DEI offices for most of Bell's tenure, according to Florida Politics. Bell's defense — that he complied with state law when it changed — appears to have satisfied UF trustees. Gov. Ron DeSantis has already called Bell a "great selection," a strong signal the Board of Governors will confirm him on June 25.
An Engineer's Resume Built for Rankings and Research
Bell is a mechanical engineer with a doctorate and a nuclear engineering bachelor's degree from Texas A&M. Before leading Alabama, he served as provost at Louisiana State University and as dean of engineering at the University of Kansas. He was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2023, according to Tuscaloosa Thread.
His Alabama track record also includes three football national championships — in 2015, 2017, and 2020 — a detail that matters to UF boosters hoping to lift the Gators' national athletic profile. Meanwhile, current interim president Dr. Donald Landry is reportedly owed a $2 million contract payout because he was not chosen for the permanent role, according to Florida Politics.
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