The state Board of Governors on Thursday confirmed Dr. Donald W. Landry as the interim president of the University of Florida, installing a Columbia University physician to lead the flagship university after the systemwide board rejected another candidate amid conservative criticism.
Landry, chair emeritus of the Columbia University Department of Medicine, took the helm at UF earlier this month pending the board vote. He told the board he plans to push the university to "the very top rung of academia," fill key leadership roles on campus and "lock in a culture of freedom of academic expression tempered by civility." His remarks came a day after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university in Utah, and he acknowledged the "ideological turmoil" playing out on college campuses.
The board’s vote followed months of contention over the university trustees’ initial choice of Santa Ono, a noted academic and former president of the University of Michigan. The trustees had approved Ono, but the Board of Governors rejected him in June after prominent conservatives raised questions about his record on handling pro-Palestinian protests, climate change, gender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion programs at past institutions.
Landry’s contract sets an annual base salary of $2 million plus benefits and allows up to $500,000 in additional performance pay. The agreement requires him to cooperate with state and federal "DOGE" efforts to root out "waste, fraud and abuse" at the university and prohibits spending on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or on "political or social activism." It also directs him to prioritize student safety, including the well-being of Jewish students, and to expand artificial intelligence initiatives across the campus.
The interim contract runs through Aug. 31, 2026. The agreement allows for extensions if Landry and the board chair mutually agree or if he is chosen as the university’s next permanent president.
University leaders and state officials have framed the leadership change as part of broader efforts to align the university system with state priorities. Board of Governors members in recent months have pressed public universities in Florida to limit DEI programming and to focus on workforce development, academic performance metrics and public accountability.
Supporters of the Board of Governors’ actions say the measures are intended to ensure fiscal responsibility and to reduce what they describe as politicized programming on campuses. Critics argue that restricting DEI spending and imposing other contract conditions could undermine academic freedom, faculty governance and the ability of universities to support historically underrepresented students.
In his remarks to the board, Landry described his role as one of service and said he looked forward to working with UF students, faculty, staff and stakeholders across the state. He emphasized plans to strengthen campus leadership and to promote civility alongside free expression.
The appointment comes as universities nationwide grapple with heightened political scrutiny, protests and concerns about campus safety. Florida’s higher education governing body has asserted its authority over institutional leadership selections, creating tensions with local trustees who had favored Ono.
Landry is a physician by training and has held senior academic leadership roles at Columbia. Details of how he will approach academic policies, faculty relations and the campus programs targeted by the board’s contract provisions remain to be seen as he settles into the interim role and begins implementing priorities outlined by the Board of Governors.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.