A former USF dean is tapped to be its next president

University of South Florida's ninth president may be a man with deep ties to the institution and the Tampa Bay region.

On Tuesday, the University of South Florida Presidential Search Committee recommended Moez Limayem as the sole presidential candidate for the USF Board of Trustees to consider.

Limayem is currently the president of the University of North Florida. The USF Board of Trustees will then select the university president, which is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors.

"They confirmed him for North Florida," said Karen Holbrook, the former regional chancellor at USF Sarasota-Manatee. "I can't imagine that there's going to be a problem of confirming him for USF."

According to a release, Limayem served as the associate dean for research and graduate programs at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business before joining USF. He also earned his MBA and doctorate from the University of Minnesota.

But his Tampa Bay ties come when he was the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business at USF for 10 years before becoming UNF's president in 2022.

“The University of South Florida and the Tampa Bay region are special to my family and me,” Limayem said in a statement. “I have always enjoyed working with USF faculty, staff, students, alumni, supporters and the community’s business leaders and I am honored to be considered to lead this great university in its continued pursuit of excellence.”

A successful fund-raiser

When he was dean at USF, Limayem and his team raised more than $126 million in private donations for the college — including a $25 million gift from Pam and Les Muma in 2014. At the time, it was the largest individual gift in the university's history. He also led key efforts enhancing career preparation and placement, internships, and talent development of students.

When he became a dean at USF in 2012, he told WUSF that some of his goals involved getting away from a teaching style he called "Death by PowerPoint." Instead, he wanted to increase student internships and other connections with potential employers.

ALSO READ: USF president Rhea Law will step down. A search will soon begin for a successor

Mike Griffin, chair of the presidential search committee, said they reviewed qualified candidates from across the nation before deciding Limayem was the man for the job.

"He brings a strong track record of presidential success in Florida in his current role, and we experienced the impact of his leadership firsthand when he led our Muma College of Business," Griffin said. "We are confident that Moez is the right person to accelerate our momentum and lead us to even greater heights in the next chapter of our university.”

Anila Jain, vice chair of the campus board at USF Sarasota-Manatee, described Limayem as a "visionary leader," adding that he is the perfect person for the position.

"I think he understands academia. He understands what our students need going forward to succeed, and he's got that personality. He's a people person," Jain said. "We're all very excited to have Moez back at the university. He was a leader that was well respected, that was liked by students, faculty, peers, leadership team."

Holbrook said Limayem will be "well equipped" to take over as president.

"I think he knows what's going on with the universities in Florida, since he's been a president at North Florida, and I believe he's been very, very successful there, so he will know what the challenges are in Florida," Holbrook said. "And there are many, not only in Florida, but in all universities right now."

A strong record at UNF

During his tenure at UNF, the university welcomed the largest incoming class of students in its history — leading to its highest overall enrollment since it was founded in 1972. According to a release, UNF also set an institutional record with its first-year student retention rate.

In addition, UNF is the No. 1 in the state for the highest percentage of bachelor's graduates employed in Florida. Limayem has been recognized by Florida Trend as one of the state's 500 most influential business leaders, alongside other accolades.

This search comes after current USF president Rhea Law announced in February that she would be retiring. USF then named the 15-member presidential search committee to find Law's successor.

This year has been a time of turnover for university presidents across the state. For example, the University of Florida is still conducting its search to find a permanent president after the Board of Governors rejected its sole finalist, Santa Ono. It then had to search for a new interim president.

Limayem is a shift from other recent university leadership shakeups since many who've been recently appointed come from a political background. For instance, Gov. Ron DeSantis' former lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nuñez, became Florida International University's president this year. Also, Marva Johnson, who served on the Florida State Board of Education, became Florida A&M University's president.

Limayem will be visiting USF for public forums. A schedule will be announced in the coming days, according to a release.