University of Florida Officials Unanimously Confirm Santa Ono as Next President

The University of Florida Board of Trustees unanimously approved Dr. Santa J. Ono as the next president of the University of Florida (UF), the school announced on Tuesday.

“I am thankful for, and humbled by, the unanimous support of the Board of Trustees. The energy here at the University of Florida is palpable, and I am eager to join the wonderful students, faculty and staff of the Gator Nation,” Ono said. “I’m excited by the prospect of being part of such an exceptional institution that is so clear-eyed in its purpose. Let’s go do great things together.”

Dr. Ono will likely become UF's 14th president, replacing Ben Sasse. Kent Fuchs was briefly the school's interim president.

Ono's confirmation is contingent on ratification by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System of Florida.

In its decision, UF said Ono had a "distinguished record of leadership in academia and public health" in the United States and Canada. He previously served as president of the University of Michigan and before that as president of the University of British Columbia.

But his likely confirmation wasn't without controversy.

During his candidacy, Ono's remarks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Michigan drew alarm bells for some, including U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL).

"I don't know how this guy became the only finalist, but no, they need to go back to the drawing board," Donalds said on Fox Business. "Governor DeSantis has led our state to be the number one university system in the country, part of it is getting rid of DEI, and the crazy ideology of the left."

Along with words on DEI, Ono also called racism one of America's "original sins." Furthermore, he described climate change as an existential threat to the planet.

But it seems Ono might have changed his mind. Or are these empty promises?

Regardless, it was good enough for the Board of Trustees to select him for the job.

“Santa Ono is precisely the right person to be president of the University of Florida at this moment in its history,” Chair Mori Hosseini said.

Hosseini added that Ono's values "align perfectly" with UF.

"Dr. Ono will ensure that merit and scholarship, not ideology, are the gold standards for success, and he will see to it that the University of Florida continues its ascent toward becoming America’s premier public university, bar none," Hosseini added.