A professor at Columbia University has been named UF’s interim president — igniting discourse throughout the university.
The UF Board of Trustees unanimously confirmed Donald W. Landry as interim president Aug. 25. The decision came just days before the planned transfer of power: Interim President Kent Fuchs’ contract ends Sept. 1, the same day Landry is set to take office.
Landry is the chair of the Department of Medicine at Columbia and worked under President George W. Bush’s Council on Bioethics, earning a Presidential Citizens Medal for his work on expanding treatment opportunity and research.
His confirmation comes after UF’s unprecedented presidential search. The Florida Board of Governors rejected UF’s top pick for president June 3, former University of Michigan President Santa Ono. The Board criticized Ono for his past stances on diversity programs, gender views and other issues on which members didn’t feel he aligned with Florida’s conservative values.
Florida politicians like Gov. Ron DeSantis and conservative activist Christopher Rufo have endorsed Landry since his announcement as interim president.
DeSantis congratulated Landry and thanked the UF Board in a post on X, saying Landry is a strong candidate and has a “stellar record of accomplishments.”
Rufo also commented on X, saying, “Dr. Landry is a principled leader who will reverse ideological capture and restore truth-seeking within the institution. Kudos to the UF Board of Trustees on a great selection.”
Faculty thoughts
David Macdonald, a UF political science professor, said there’s been a lot of uncertainty with university leadership since Ono’s rejection.
“I think it's good to have any kind of certainty, at least to have an interim president,” Macdonald said. “And from everything I can tell, he is a respected academic and has an appropriate background.”
There are always going to be politics associated with public institutions, he said, and he doesn’t think the two can be separated. Despite this, Macdonald is unsure of the extent it’s appropriate for state officials to intervene with universities' decisions, he said.
Macdonald was a graduate student at Florida State University when John Thrasher, a Florida senator, became FSU’s president. Though there was some concern about the “appropriateness of an academic versus a politician,” Thrasher ended up doing a fantastic job, Macdonald said.
“I think, going forward, the key is finding someone who would be the best steward and advocate for the university, and in my experience, it can be an academic and a politician as well,” he said.
Law professor Stephen Craig was more apathetic.
“I really don't have any reaction to Dr. Landry,” he said. “On paper, he looks qualified, but I really don't know enough about him.”
UF Faculty Union President Meera Sitharam said in an email Landry’s overall academic and research reputation is highly encouraging, and the pick “could have been a lot worse.”
Several other state universities have political appointees, she said, but UF didn’t end up with one as interim president.
Landry made comments criticizing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives while being questioned by the Board of Trustees during his confirmation hearing, saying the initiatives went “too far.” Landry said he would uphold political neutrality at UF but that a neutral university would, by default, be a “conservative” one.
The union believes that for UF to thrive, faculty and staff must “take ownership of their work and workplace and sustain strong connections with the students,” Sitharam said.
She said upholding these principles are the university’s responsibility, and if the university fails to do so, the institution is at risk.
She said that she was thankful the university’s last president, Ben Sasse, only held tenure for less than two years, because he struggled to uphold those standards for the university. The union hopes this interim president does better for UF, she said.
Who is Landry? Students weigh in
Some students criticized the selection process for setting DeSantis up for success in his conservative vision for the state.
Mariana Avril Briseno, a 23-year-old UF geography senior, said she doesn’t know much about Landry, but the political agenda of the Board of Trustees is “not that well hidden and never has been.”
“It is clear that they want a candidate who is conservative in order to appease the governor,,” she said.
She doesn’t know whether Landry will become UF’s permanent president, she added, but if he is, “his appointment in my view would be yet another political move to appease Ron DeSantis.”
Rylee Gill, a 19-year-old UF business management sophomore, said the choice surprised her, and she doesn’t expect the Board of Governors to confirm Landry.
The board is clearly aiming to have a politician in office instead of an academic to institute the board’s desires, Gill said, like ending DEI policies and cracking down on academic freedom.
“They want someone who is willing to completely push their political interests without any questioning,” Gill said.
Others were more open to see how Landry handles the position.
Rachel Torres, a 19-year-old UF music sophomore, said she doesn’t know much about the current presidential situation, but she was confused as to why Landry is favored over Ono for the presidential candidacy.
“I do think it’s interesting to see what is seen or considered as ‘qualified’ for the position, as the previous candidate seemed like a great fit,” she said.
Emily Bobadilla, an 18-year-old UF biology freshman, said she’s not super aware of any controversy with Landry’s selection, or what it means for UF.
She said she’s heard mixed opinions: Some people think of the presidential search in a political lens, taking into account the political climate of the state and Landry’s political views, while others believe he will help the institution “grow into a better place,” she said.
“I do hope this controversy will settle down, and in the end, that the best choice is made for the sake of the school and its students,” Bobadilla said.
Contact Angelique Rodriguez at arodriguez@allator.org. Follow her on X @angeliquesrod.
