UF Board of Trustees unanimously selects Dr. Stuart R. Bell as the 14th president of the University of Florida News
The University of Florida Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to select Dr. Stuart R. Bell as the University of Florida’s next president.
Dr. Bell will become UF’s 14th president, pending ratification by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System of Florida. The Board of Governors is expected to vote on Bell’s ratification at its next meeting on June 25.
“The Board of Trustees’ unanimous vote today is a resounding and undeniable show of support for Dr. Stuart Bell, who is exactly the right leader at the right time for the University of Florida,” said Mori Hosseini, UF Board of Trustees Chair. “Dr. Bell’s vast experience, solid character and strong leadership ability will be critical in taking UF to the very highest ranks of U.S. higher education.”
Prior to his tenure as president of the University of Alabama from 2015 to 2025, Dr. Bell served as provost and professor of engineering at Louisiana State University and as dean of the School of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas. He is also widely recognized for his research and publications on natural gas and combustion engines and was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2023.
Dr. Bell earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and his B.S. in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University. He has been elected to membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers.
