The University of South Florida Board of Trustees today unanimously voted to select Moez Limayem (pronounced Mow-ezz Lee-may-yem) as the university’s ninth president.
Limayem currently serves as president of the University of North Florida and was the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business at USF for 10 years.
His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors (BOG), which oversees the State University System.
“Dr. Moez Limayem is an outstanding leader, who brings a unique combination of deep ties to the University of South Florida and Tampa Bay region, valuable experience as a university president in our state and a strong record of accomplishments in student success and engagement, research excellence, fundraising, corporate partnerships and much more,” said USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford, who also shared an extended message with the university community. “Dr. Limayem brings a palpable energy and enthusiasm to every room he enters, and he is fully aligned on our vision for USF Athletics and the transformational impact of our new on-campus stadium. Under his leadership, we are poised to build on our momentum as a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and further capitalize on our location in one of the most vibrant and fastest-growing regions in the country.”
The USF Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve Moez Limayem as USF's ninth president
President-elect Moez Limayem
BOT Chair Will Weatherford, President-elect Moez Limayem and Mike Griffin, chair of the Presidential Search Committee
Limayem’s 3 1/2-year tenure at UNF has been filled with significant achievements and milestones. This year, UNF welcomed the largest incoming class of students in its history, leading to its highest overall enrollment since being founded in 1972. UNF also recently set an institutional record with its first-year student retention rate. With a strategic focus on community and corporate partnerships, UNF is No. 1 in the state for the highest percentage of bachelor’s graduates employed in Florida.
Les and Pam Muma attended the USF Board of Trustees
During his time at UNF, Limayem has been recognized by Florida Trend as one of the state’s 500 most influential business leaders, by the Jacksonville Business Journal as an Ultimate CEO and he received an award from the National Academy of Inventors for his many contributions to innovation and invention.
While 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, which at the time was the largest individual gift in the university’s history. He also led key efforts to enhance career preparation and placement, internships and talent development of students. In addition, Limayem was named among the Power 100: Tampa Bay’s Most Influential Business Leaders of 2022 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. In November, he is slated to be inducted into the First Coast Business Hall of Fame.
“I am honored and humbled to be unanimously selected by the USF Board of Trustees. Serving as USF president would be the greatest honor of my professional life,” Limayem said. “My family and I love USF and the Tampa Bay region, and I am thrilled by the prospect of returning home. As I was reminded during my visit to each USF campus last week, it is truly a special community.”
Earlier in his career, Limayem served as the associate dean for research and graduate programs at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business and Edwin & Karlee Bradberry chair in information systems. He earned his MBA and doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
His wife Alya, a UNF faculty member of biology, is a renowned researcher who holds multiple U.S. patents, was named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors last year and was recognized as a 2024 Rising Star of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida. The couple has two children.
USF’s presidential search process selection followed state law and BOG regulation. This included stakeholder input; the development of a position profile; marketing of the position; identifying and screening the most qualified candidates; recommending a finalist to the Board of Trustees for consideration; and holding on-campus meetings with members of the university community.
President-elect Moez Limayem poses with members of the USF Board of Trustees
The BOG is currently scheduled to consider Limayem’s confirmation during its meeting on Nov. 6.