Florida Votes to Hire Bell as President

Stuart Bell survived his first test in the gauntlet to become University of Florida President.

UF’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to hire Bell, who led the University of Alabama from 2015 to 2025. Since Bell was named the sole finalist for the job, his candidacy has been imperiled by a wave of conservative criticism over his embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at his last stop, including a push to enroll more underrepresented students. While the board questioned DEI practices at Alabama, Bell defended his record in the context of the times and noted that he later dismantled such programs.

Now, his candidacy will advance to the Florida Board of Governors for final approval. That board voted down the last person picked to permanently lead UF.

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