“I am inspired by what has been achieved at USF and energized by what we will accomplish in our next chapter together. I look forward to seeing you on campus soon,” stated Limayem in his announcement to USF.
Photo courtesy of USF
By Julia Birdsall
University of North Florida’s former president Moez Limayem was unanimously confirmed as the University of South Florida’s ninth president on Dec. 12 by the Florida Board of Governors.
This follows the resignation of USF’s eighth president Rhea Law, which was announced in February 2025.
The search proceeded for nine months before USF named Limayem as the sole finalist in its ninth presidential search in October.
Subsequently, Limayem was unanimously selected by USF’s Board of Trustees, noting that Limayem would be a good fit for the role due to his previous position as USF’s Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business — which he served in for 10 years — and his experience as the UNF’s president.
He spoke at each of the USF campuses on Oct. 13 to address how his presidency could benefit the university.
At USF St. Petersburg, he stated that he would focus on strengthening USF’s academic and athletic profile, as well as developing the relationship between the three campuses and promoting an environment where students can freely express themselves.
Limayem reaffirmed some of these goals in an online statement released after the BOG confirmed his selection.
“In the coming years, we have an opportunity to ascend from a rookie AAU member to a model of what a modern-day AAU institution should be,” Limayem wrote. “We can go from a rising star to THE star in higher education, and all our talented students, faculty and staff will help us get there.”
