To the USF community,
It is my honor to announce that today the USF Board of Trustees unanimously selected Dr. Moez Limayem as the ninth president in our university’s history.
His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System.
This is a homecoming for Dr. Limayem and his family, as he previously served for 10 years as the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the USF Muma College of Business. When he was announced as the sole finalist for this position last month, Dr. Limayem received hundreds of messages of support from people at USF and throughout the Tampa Bay region – a powerful indication of the deep ties and strong relationships he has maintained in our community.
Dr. Limayem is a proven fundraiser who has shown the ability to forge innovative corporate partnerships that benefit students and faculty. While dean at USF, Limayem and his team raised more than $126 million in private donations for the college, including the largest individual gift in the university’s history at the time. Those results don’t happen without someone who creates a clear vision for an organization.
Since August 2022, he has served as president of the University of North Florida, giving him valuable experience leading an institution in our state. During his tenure UNF has broken records for student success and enrollment and implemented new initiatives to enhance career preparation, internships, talent development and job placement for students.
He comes with an academic background, including an MBA and doctorate from the University of Minnesota, along with a commitment to faculty excellence and growing the impact of USF’s world-class research enterprise.
Dr. Limayem is a strong supporter of the value that athletics delivers for a university and the transformation that will come with our new on-campus stadium. He brings a similar business approach, entrepreneurial mindset, focus on revenue generation and connections within the Tampa Bay market as our new CEO of Athletics, Rob Higgins.
Under Dr. Limayem’s leadership, we are poised to accelerate 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. You can read more about him here.
I want to thank the members of our presidential search committee, led by Board of Trustees Vice Chair Mike Griffin, for their willingness to serve and volunteer their time to thoroughly review a set of highly qualified candidates before recommending an outstanding finalist. The partnership with our search consultants, Korn Ferry, also played an important role in helping us reach today’s outcome.
I deeply appreciate every member of the USF and Tampa Bay communities who provided meaningful input or engaged in our search process in some way. Dr. Limayem brings a special energy and enthusiasm to every room he enters, and we are excited for you to get to know him even better in the future.
We will continue to keep you updated as the process moves forward. I fully believe our best days are ahead!
Go Bulls!
Sincerely,
Will Weatherford
Chair, USF Board of Trustees