UF board of trustees votes unanimously to appoint Kent Fuchs interim president

The University of Florida community over the next year should be ready for a lot of "fun and joy" and "hard work."

That was the message delivered by former UF President Kent Fuchs on Tuesday afternoon after he was unanimously approved by the university's board of trustees as the interim president following the sudden resignation of President Ben Sasse last week.

"I want to personally thank Dr. Fuchs for agreeing to take on this role at such a critical time to ensure a smooth transition as we prepare to begin our search for a new president," board Chair Mori Hosseini said. "... We owe you a huge debt of gratitude."

The appointment — effective Aug. 1 — must still be ratified by the Florida Board of Governors at its next meeting.

Fuchs, who served as UF president from 2015 to 2023, is currently teaching an electrical engineering class in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering after taking a one-year sabbatical, according a news university news release.

After the vote during Tuesday's virtual meeting, Fuchs thanked board members for their confidence in him to lead the university on such short notice.

The Sasse resignation Mixed emotions and wondering what might have been

"It's really important for all of us that our university not lose momentum in this transition. And my commitment to you, to our faculty, staff, students and alumni is that we're not going to lose momentum, we're going to keep putting fuel in the fire and accelerate our growth and our stature and our excellence," Fuchs said.

"I'm committed this next year will just hopefully be a year that we have a lot of fun and joy. In the midst of the hard work I plan to lean into the job and enjoy it, and I believe that can become contagious for all of us."

Fuchs also thanked Sasse for his service to the university.

"You and Melissa and your children have our very best wishes, our prayers and our gratitude. We look forward to seeing all the things that you do in the future. God bless you."

According to Sasse, who was inaugurated as UF's 13th president in November 2023 nearly nine months after he started, his sudden resignation announcement was brought about by his wife's health.

More: Kent Fuchs bids a farewell to UF as Sasse presidency nears

“My wife Melissa’s recent epilepsy diagnosis and a new batch of memory issues have been hard, but we’re facing it together,” Sasse said in a UF News release. “Our two wonderful daughters are in college, but our youngest is just turning 13. Gator Nation needs a president who can keep charging hard, Melissa deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights.

"I need to step back and rebuild more stable household systems for a time. I’m going to remain involved in serving our UF students — past, present, and future — but I need to walk arm-in-arm with my dearest friend more hours of every week.”

Sasse spoke briefly after the vote to appoint Fuchs as interim president.

"I want to thank Kent for his wisdom and his love for this place an his willingness to serve," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Kent Fuchs to serve as interim University of Florida president