Latest news with #UF
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Florida football: Three former Gators named to CFB Hall of Fame ballot
Three former Florida football standouts ― Alex Brown, Brad Culpepper and Percy Harvin ― were named on June 2 to the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the 2026 class. Harvin helped lead the Florida Gators to national championships in 2006 and 2008 as a two-way rushing and receiving threat in head coach Urban Meyer's spread offense. In three seasons at UF, Harvin had 33 catches for 1,929 yards and 13 TDs, while rushing 194 times for 1,852 yards on 19 TDs. He went on to a seven-year NFL career, winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. Advertisement Brown played at UF from 1998-2001 under Steve Spurrier, earning consensus All-American honors his final season at UF. A Japser native and former Hamilton High standout, Brown finished his four-year Florida career with 161 tackles, 47 tackles for loss and 33 sacks. He went on to an eight-year NFL career with the Chicago Bears (2002-09) and New Orleans Saints (2010). Culpepper played at UF from 1988-91, finishing his career with 47.5 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries and 4 pass breakups. In 1991, Culpepper captained the Gators to their first SEC Championship and led the defense with 50 tackles. Culpepper went on to a seven-year NFL career from 1993-2000 with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears. Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun's Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@ Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators' national championship basketball season in 'CHOMP-IONS!' — a hardcover coffee-table collector's book from The Sun. Details at This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: CFB Hall of Fame ballot includes three former Florida football standouts
Miami Herald
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Santa Ono is coming to The Swamp. Can he survive the conservative heat?
Is a career academic who not too long ago was championing 'DEI 2.0' fit to lead Florida's flagship university? That's the question facing the state university system's Board of Governors at what is expected to be a highly contentious meeting Tuesday, when they vote on whether to confirm Santa J. Ono as the University of Florida's next president — the final political checkpoint in a hiring process that has ignited a firestorm among conservatives nationwide. Ono, who most recently led the University of Michigan, has been branded by right-wing critics as a closet progressive who only recently distanced himself from diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to appeal to Florida's conservative leadership. That about-face has taken center stage in Ono's campaign for the UF presidency, which began on May 4 when the university's search committee recommended him as the sole finalist for the $3 million-a-year job. Since then, Ono has spent much of his public-facing candidacy on the political defensive, repeatedly pledging fealty to Florida's higher education reforms and renouncing DEI. At Michigan, Ono had once pushed for a 'DEI 2.0' initiative and oversaw what was one of the nation's most robust diversity offices. But in March, under mounting public scrutiny and pressure from the Trump administration, he eliminated DEI spending entirely. During his public interview with UF's Board of Trustees last week, Ono tackled the criticisms head on. 'What matters most, I think, is not what I said two to six years ago, but what I have done in the past year and a half,' he said. As for DEI, Ono was unequivocal: 'DEI will not return to the University of Florida,' he said. Yet resistance has remained fierce. Ono has been the target of sustained opposition research, mental health smears and condemnations from prominent Republicans like U.S. Sen. Rick Scott. Donald Trump Jr. called him a 'woke psycho' last week and urged the Board of Governors to reject him. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, an early front runner in the upcoming Florida governor's race, said on Sunday that his team would monitor Ono 'very, very closely.' But one decisive voice has not joined the anti-Ono chorus: Gov. Ron DeSantis. While admitting to reporters on Thursday that some of the former Michigan president's past statements made him 'cringe,' he deferred final judgement to the Board of Governors — which is packed with DeSantis appointees. At the same time, the governor made his expectations clear: 'We don't want [UF] to be a fountain of activism or leftist indoctrination. If you go in that direction, then you will not have support to continue.' UF Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini, who is a close DeSantis ally and a major Republican donor, has fiercely defended Ono as a 'break from the progressive orthodoxy that has gripped too many elite campuses.' UF trustees unanimously backed Ono on Tuesday. Ono's candidacy is a striking example of how deeply Florida's politics have seeped into the workings of its higher education landscape. Traditional academic decisions — appointing deans, safeguarding tenure, designing curricula, managing accreditation and permitting faculty testimony — have become ideological proxy wars. Now, the hiring of a college president has escalated into a national flashpoint. It raises questions about whether veteran academics can still thrive as university leaders in an environment where the Trump administration and state legislatures are aggressively reshaping higher education to align with political agendas. Bernie Machen, who led UF as president from 2004 to late 2014, told the Miami Herald on Monday that he's alarmed by the level of political interference in the state's higher education system. If Ono'd appointment is derailed for political reasons, Machen warned, 'I don't think we would be able to get a viable candidate anymore.' Machen, 81, also questioned the rigor of UF's last presidential search, which led to the 2022 hiring of Ben Sasse, then a sitting U.S. senator with little higher-ed leadership experience. Sasse resigned in July after less than two years, following criticism over excessive spending and a management style widely seen as ill-suited to running a major research university. 'He didn't appear to me to be a qualified candidate,' Machen said. 'How he got it is beyond me — and the results speak for themselves.' With Ono, Machen said, UF did things right: 'I think you have every reason to think that the selection of Ono will be successful… we've done everything we were asked to do to find the right candidate.' Academics first, politics second Leading the charge against Ono is Christopher Rufo, a Washington State-based conservative activist who has closely advised on DeSantis' overhaul of Florida's higher-ed system and was among a slate of conservatives appointed in 2023 by DeSantis to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees. From his perch on X, where he commands an audience of over 823,000, Rufo has circulated video clips meant to highlight Ono's progressive record, including moments where Ono declares that 'systemic racism is embedded in every corner of any institution,' endorses campus anti-racism efforts, promotes an 'Indigenous strategic plan' and delivers an Indigenous land acknowledgment. Rufo, who did not respond to requests for an interview, is now urging the Board of Governors to order a restart on UF's presidential search, arguing that 'it is better to proceed slowly and end with a solid conservative than to rush the process and end up with a standard-issue progressive.' There's some at UF who would counter that selecting a conservative for the big job didn't work out well last time. Danaya Wright, a longtime UF law professor and two-time Faculty Senate chair, said while Sasse brought political connections, he lacked administrative chops necessary to lead one of the nation's top research universities. She also pointed to New College, where, under Rufo's watch and the leadership of former GOP lawmaker Richard Corcoran, the school has faced criticism over surging per-student costs and mismanagement of donor funds. 'I think Chris Rufo needs to spend a little more time getting his own house in order,' Wright said. In Wright's view, Ono fits the centrist mold of past Florida presidents like Machen and Kent Fuchs, who returned as interim president in August. That's a relief, she added, after the Sasse era, which many on campus saw as defined by ideology and inexperience. 'The right approach,' she said, 'is to find someone who you think is a good administrator,and then cross your fingers that they can maneuver through the politics of the state, becuase just being a politician is not enough to run a $1 billion research institution.' The interview Ono's passed him first major political hurdle during his appearance before Florida's trustees last Tuesday, which more closely resembled a Capitol Hill confirmation hearing than a job interview. For two hours, trustees drilled him on ideological topics. Virtually no time was spent discussing his vision for the university's academic future. Pressed repeatedly on antisemitism, Ono vowed to combat it and shut down any encampments that sprung up on campus under his leadership. He distanced himself from past land acknowledgments and climate change commentary, assuring the board he would avoid 'politically or socially contested issues.' Ono, an immunologist, even framed his reversal on DEI through the lens of the scientific method, saying new evidence convinced him that DEI programs were stifling free speech. Even Ono's mental health history was dragged into the spotlight. Years ago, he publicly disclosed that he had twice attempted suicide in his youth — an effort to destigmatize mental illness on campus. An anonymous right-wing group, posting on X as Commies on Campus, has weaponized Ono's past struggles with depression in attacks on his fitness for the role. When Rahul Patel, the vice chair of UF's board who led the search committee, pressed Ono about his mental acuity on Tuesday, the candidate insisted that he has been 'high functioning' for decades. 'I'm verging on almost 35 years,' Ono said, 'Without medication, without counseling, without therapy.' Trustees never explicitly questioned Ono on how he'd handle immigration — a hot topic on college campuses in Florida and across the nation — but alluded to his own background. Born in Canada to Japanese immigrants, he grew up in Baltimore and Philadelphia and is now a U.S. citizen, along with every other member of his family. 'I am a proud American,' Ono said. 'I grew up in Baltimore. I love going to Fort McHenry. I sometimes still read the words of the Star Spangled Banner.' Before trustees unanimously voted in Ono's favor, Patel endorsed him as one of a 'few people in the country who have both the conviction to lead this university in the direction Florida has set and the operational ability to actually deliver on that vision.' Trustee Daniel O'Keefe, one of the more skeptical board members, chimed in to say he was satisfied with Ono's 'truthful and heartfelt' answers. 'I think he can be in alignment on our vision for University of Florida,' he said. 'Marching orders' For Judith Wilde and James Finkelstein, a research duo at George Mason University who study college presidencies, the national outcry around Ono is unprecedented. As Finkelstein put it: 'How many times do you see national figures and organizations urging a governing body not to approve the appointment of a university president? Never.' (Trump publicly commented on the appointment of Sasse in 2022, posting on Truth Social that UF would 'soon regret their decision to hire him.' Finkelstein dismissed the remark, saying Trump will 'weigh in on anything.') Both Finkelstein and Wilde said that Ono's credentials — three college presidencies, a former provostship and a lengthy research résumé — make him a top candidate for the UF presidency. Unlike Sasse, Finkelstein said, Ono isn't 'someone you have to put training wheels on.' They also said it's unlikely Ono would revive DEI at UF even if he wanted to. His draft contract includes performance incentives tied to enforcing DeSantis-backed reforms, including the state's blanket ban on DEI spending. 'He's got his marching orders,' Wilde said. 'I think he fully believes that he will do whatever it takes to get the job, fully intends to do it.' Still, the pair questioned whether Ono would be able to secure legitimacy among Florida's roster of public university presidents, which has become increasingly crowded with former GOP politicians and DeSantis allies. Finkelstein summed up the stakes bluntly: 'Just because he's qualified doesn't mean he's going to be successful in Florida.'
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ono is the right choice for UF and for the Jewish community
On May 27, the University of Florida Board of Trustees voted to unanimously select Santa J. Ono, Ph.D., as the next UF president. The trustees spent 2 ½ hours asking Ono tough, pointed questions to address concerns, if not accusations. Some people have stated these concerns in public and often in passing, while some have exploited the obscurity and anonymity of the internet to sow doubt about Ono's fitness to hold the position. Ono addressed these questions, in public, on the record, live-streamed and over an extended period. Among the accusations being leveled against Ono: the claim that he is antisemitic. As a distinguished professor of neurology and a member of the Jewish community at the University of Florida, I feel uniquely qualified to address both the need for leadership that protects free speech and the UF Jewish community, as well as to help identify someone who can lead one of the most complex R1 universities in the country. Antisemitism is discrimination or hostility against Jewish people based on religion, ethnicity, or cultural identity. It has no place at the University of Florida, or anywhere else in our society. I have personal experience with antisemitism, so I know it when I see it. Therefore, I want to state unequivocally: Santa Ono is an ally to the Jewish community. He is not antisemitic and suggesting otherwise is both factually incorrect and deeply harmful. Don't take my word for it, though. In a letter sent to Ono just last week, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote to Ono, 'I know you have worked hard to demonstrate your support for the Jewish community, sometimes at personal cost and threat to you and your family.' In his own words: Santa Ono: I'm the right choice for UF president. I would make a great school the best. I've had the privilege of serving this incredible institution for almost 23 years, and I can tell you that we are at a pivotal moment. Our university is rising in stature, in impact, in national recognition and in complexity. From AI to healthcare to elite athletics and a dynamic admissions environment, UF needs a leader who can meet the moment and take us to the next level of excellence. It was not an easy task to find that type of leader, and not one the UF Presidential Search Committee took lightly. The committee set out to find a candidate who was a nationally respected educator and scholar. The committee sought a proven leader with academic gravitas and passion for both research and innovation. We sought a champion for academic freedom, interdisciplinary collaboration and individual student success. Our quest was to identify an individual capable of making strong connections with all stakeholders including students, faculty, donors and lawmakers. As a member of the search committee, I can attest that we did our homework. We received interest from a long list of exceptional individuals, including sitting and highly accomplished presidents of major U.S. universities. From that distinguished pool, one candidate rose to the top, and that person was Santa Ono. UF vs New College: Don't let politics rule UF president decision. Just look at New College. He didn't just meet the qualifications, he exceeded them. Ono is a scholar of international reputation, a visionary leader, and a person who understands the delicate and powerful intersection of education, innovation, community and public service. He is deeply committed, and he brings with him a track record of excellence in research, teaching and engagement at every level. He is also someone who shares the values of this institution, and he brings a passion that will energize every corner of our campus. In short, he is the leader we need to meet our rising moment. I truly believe that the people of Florida and our elected leaders are going to love working with him, and I am hopeful the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees Florida's state universities, will feel the same when they meet June 3 at the University of Central Florida to consider confirming him. One of the great things about this country and this state is our commitment to public dialogue and transparency. The committee worked hard. We took our charge seriously. And we delivered a candidate of the highest possible caliber to lead UF and the state of Florida into the next generation. Michael Okun, M.D., is the Adelaide Lackner Professor of Neurology and Executive Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida. He was one of the individuals serving on the 15-member UF Presidential Search Committee. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ono the right choice for UF, will stand against antisemitism | Opinion
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
$3 million contract on the table for former U of M president who faces GOP concerns in Florida
University of Michigan President Santa Ono speaks at the Mackinac Policy Conference, May 30, 2024 | Anna Liz Nichols University of Florida President-elect Santa Ono could receive $3 million per year if the State University System's Board of Governors confirms him this week. The proposed contract between UF and Ono includes a $1.5 million base salary for serving as president, $500,000 for serving as UF Health chair, more than $400,000 in annual performance bonuses, and another half-a-million in retirement contributions and retention payments. Despite unanimous approval by UF trustees, Ono's presidency is being protested by some Republicans, while Gov. Ron DeSantis says he is leaving it up to the board he appointed to make the right decision. Tuesday, the 17-member Board of Governors will vote on Ono, who received unanimous approval from UF trustees last week. He is the sole finalist for the position. 'I appointed all those folks, so they'll make the judgement,' DeSantis said of the Board of Governors' final vote. Former Gov. Rick Scott, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, and U.S. Rep. and GOP gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds have publicly questioned Ono's candidacy, as has Donald Trump Jr., who took to X to express his feelings on the candidate. 'WTF! Have the decision makers at @UF lost their minds!??? This woke psycho might be a perfect fit for a Communist school in California, but how is he even being considered for this role in Florida?' Trump Jr. posted Wednesday. 'Every single member of the Florida Board of Governors should vote against him!!!' Ono supported diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in his previous job as president of the University of Michigan, guiding its 'DEI 2.0' initiative and touting benefits of such programs but ultimately closed DEI offices earlier this year. Some Republicans question the legitimacy of Ono's new-found anti-DEI convictions. 'Now people have pointed out a lot of statements that he has made that are not exactly what we're looking for in a state where woke goes to die and I cringe at some of these statements,' DeSantis said Thursday, during a news conference in Fort Myers about medical negligence. 'But basically, I think the folks that were involved in the search, after having interviewed him, spent time with him, it's their judgement that he's really kind of reached the limit on the campus leftism and he would want to leave Michigan where that's prevalent to Florida where it's frowned upon,' DeSantis said. Ono told trustees that he developed his new stance on DEI in the last year and a half after talking with students and other members of the university community. Before, he wasn't an expert on the topic, which had been universal in higher education, he said. Florida Republicans and President Donald Trump's administration have focused heavily on removing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives from higher education, including banning state expenditures on such initiatives. 'He will lose his job' if he promotes 'a fountain of activism or leftist indoctrination,' DeSantis said. Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rhys Hoskins' second home run (9)
What it looked, sounded like inside Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium as Florida softball won the Gainesville Regional The Gators defeated Mercer 8-0 in five innings to clinch the Gainesville Regional. UF won all three games by run-rule for the first time in program history 0:29 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
