Drew Wilson
The University of Florida Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday to appoint Donald Landry as interim President of UF.
Landry is Chair Emeritus of Columbia University’s Department of Medicine and is President of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. Former President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2008.
Landry’s term begins Sept. 1, and he must be confirmed by the State University System Board of Governors, which is expected to take up the appointment at its Sept. 10-11 meeting.
“Dr. Landry is a highly accomplished scientist whose work is recognized around the world,” said Mori Hosseini, Chair of the UF Board of Trustees. “He has shown exceptional leadership in academia and beyond, building programs with innovation, energy and integrity. I am confident that Dr. Landry will bring those same talents to the University of Florida in service to the students, faculty and people of the great state of Florida.”
Landry said it is “an extraordinary honor” to step into the role.
“UF has made remarkable strides over the past 10 years and is now recognized as one of the top public universities in the country, and I look forward to working with its remarkable faculty, staff and students to continue building on that momentum.”
Landry is the Hamilton Southworth Professor at the New York Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center and director of Columbia’s Center for Human Longevity. He is past Physician-in-Chief of New York Presbyterian/Columbia and previously served as chief of nephrology. As Chair of Columbia’s Department of Medicine, philanthropy grew fourfold, National Institutes of Health funding tripled and the department rose to No. 3 nationally.
Landry’s appointment follows months of turmoil in Gainesville. Earlier this year, Trustees voted to hire University of Michigan President Santa Ono. But the state Board of Governors rejected the choice in June after heavy political pushback.
Ono was chosen as the replacement for Ben Sasse. Following his brief tenure, Sasse has been criticized for questionable, often exorbitant expenses, including five-figure catering contracts and unusually high salaries for remote positions awarded to staffers from his U.S. Senate office. Former UF President Kent Fuchs has stepped in to fill the gap since Sasse’s exit.
