The University of Florida Board of Trustees unanimously voted to elect Dr. Stuart R. Bell as the next president.
Bell will become the University of Florida’s 14th president, pending approval by the Florida Board of Regents, which oversees the Florida State University System. The board is scheduled to vote on Bell’s ratification at its next meeting on June 25th.
“Today’s unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees is an undeniable demonstration of support for Dr. Stuart Bell, who is the right leader at the right time for the University of Florida,” said Mori Hosseini, Chair of the University of Florida Board of Trustees. “Dr. Bell’s extensive experience, strong character, and strong leadership abilities will be critical in leading the University to the highest ranks of higher education in the United States.”
Mr. Bell previously served as president of the University of Alabama from 2015 to 2025. Prior to leading the University of Alabama, he served as dean and professor of engineering at Louisiana State University and dean of engineering and professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas.
He is also known for his research and publications on natural gas and combustion engines. In 2023, Bell was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.
Bell received his Ph.D. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering and a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University. He is an elected member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the National Society of Professional Engineers.
Rahul Patel, vice chairman of the University Board of Trustees and chair of the University Presidential Search Committee, said Bell was chosen from among hundreds of candidates.
“I would like to thank the members of the University’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee for selecting Dr. Bell to serve as the University’s 14th president,” Patel said. “I look forward to working with Dr. Bell as he takes the University of Florida to the next level.”
Bell has held several national leadership roles in higher education and engineering. He serves or has served on the Academic Affairs Executive Committee of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Board of Directors of the University of Kansas Center for Science Education, the Chair of the Academic Advisory Board of the National Science Foundation’s Ice Sheet Remote Sensing Center, and the Board of Directors of the ASME Foundation.
Bell is expected to succeed interim President Donald Landry.
The university announced Bell on May 18 as the sole finalist selected by the university’s 15-member presidential search committee. Under Florida law, the commission was responsible for designing search criteria, broadly identifying and vetting qualified candidates, and recommending finalists to the Board.
