UF’s board of trustees says presidential pick was ‘uniquely qualified’ after state university board’s rejection

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida’s chair of the Board of Trustees (BOT) spoke out in a written statement about the Florida Board of Governors’ decision not to confirm Dr. Santa Ono as the next president.

Tuesday’s 10-6 vote was a major rebuke to the UF Board of Trustees, which last week unanimously selected Ono for the post, and trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini, an influential Republican donor with longstanding ties to the state university system.

Hossenini shared a message in a post from the university’s X account.

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It read, in part, “We believe Dr. Ono was uniquely qualified to lead this University at this moment. The symbolism and substance of a sitting president of a university as prestigious as the University of Michigan... choosing to come to the University of Florida should not be lost.”

Ono, an immunologist who recently stepped down as president of the University of Michigan, drew fierce criticism from high-profile conservatives inside and outside of Florida for such issues as his past embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs, as well as his handling of on-campus protests following the 2023 attack by Hamas in Israel.

Hosseini goes on to say that the university will continue to move forward despite the setback of Ono’s rejection.

"Let me be clear: this moment, while disappointing to our Board of Trustees and many of you, will not diminish the University of Florida’s momentum, with or without Mori Hosseini."