Drew Wilson
University of Michigan President Santa J. Ono has emerged as the lone finalist to lead the state’s flagship university.
The University of Florida Presidential Search Committee announced Sunday that it “has unanimously and enthusiastically recommended” Ono be considered as the sole finalist by the UF Board of Trustees.
“On behalf of the Presidential Search Committee, I am proud to announce Dr. Santa Ono as the sole finalist to be the University of Florida’s next president,” said Rahul Patel, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee.
“Throughout an extensive and thorough process, we sought a leader who could match UF’s extraordinary momentum, understand its role as the flagship university of one of the most dynamic states in the country, and inspire our community to reach even greater heights. Dr. Ono’s proven record of academic excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice. We are confident he is the right person to build on UF’s strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future.”
UF touted Ono’s status as a “world-renowned researcher recognized for pioneering work on the immune system and eye disease.” Ono earned a Ph.D. in experimental medicine from McGill University and an undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago.
Before his current role, Ono was President and Vice Chancellor of the University of British Columbia, President of the University of Cincinnati, and Senior Vice Provost and Deputy to the Provost at Emory University. He has taught at Johns Hopkins, Harvard and University College London. UF said a full bio will soon be posted on its Presidential Search Website; the University of Michigan’s version is here.
“Few moments in higher education are as exciting as this one at the University of Florida,” Ono said in a prepared statement. “No other public university combines UF’s momentum, its role as the flagship of one of the nation’s most important states, the extraordinary support from state leaders, and a shared vision across its entire community. These strengths make UF uniquely positioned not only to lead public higher education, but to stand among the most impactful institutions — public or private — in the world. I am honored and energized to be considered for this historic opportunity.”
Ono will visit UF campus in Gainesville on Tuesday for a series of public forums with students, faculty, and administrators.
“I want to thank the Search Committee and the many members of the UF community who contributed to this process,” said Mori Hosseini, Chair of the UF Board of Trustees. “This is a great day for the University of Florida and the State of Florida. UF is on an extraordinary trajectory, and the Board remains fully committed to seeing UF become not only the best public university in the nation, but also one of the most influential institutions of higher learning in the country.
“We are grateful to our state’s government leaders for supporting this mission. I fully support this unanimous recommendation and am confident in Dr. Ono’s ability to guide UF to even greater success. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Ono, his wife Wendy Yip, and their daughters Juliana and Sarah to the Gator Nation.”
Interim UF President Kent Fuchs added, “If I could select a dream candidate for the University’s next President, it would be Santa Ono. His demonstrated record of success at the best universities, his leadership style, and caring personality have allowed him to work effectively with faculty, students, alumni, staff and other stakeholders everywhere he has been. I am confident that the future of the University will be in the best of hands with Santa Ono as our leader.”
If approved by the UF Board of Trustees, Ono’s appointment must be confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors.
The announcement of one finalist resembled when the committee announced former President Ben Sasse as the lone candidate under consideration in 2022. Sasse, a Republican U.S. Senator at the time, left the university amid controversy about a massive spending spike under his leadership.
As for Ono, he could be a controversial choice for dfifferent reasons. Just this week, a group of former faculty and students sued the University of Michigan alleging they were wrongfully terminated for participating in protests supporting Palestinians. Ono was listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, according to MLive.com.
Additionally, the University of Michigan under Ono’s leadership has been in litigation over alleged sex abuse by late university President Robert Anderson, and the school was in the process of implementing new reporting and investigation policies around sexual misconduct allegations.
___
Additional reporting by Jacob Ogles.
