Florida Finalizes Interim President Hire

"Landry, who has a lengthy academic résumé but has never been a college president, will now be among the top-paid campus leaders in the country, with a base salary of $2 million and the potential to earn an additional $500,000 in bonuses. But the one-year contract also includes an unusual caveat: Landry will earn $2 million in severance pay if he is not selected for the permanent job."

"Landry's interview with the Board of Governors Thursday was much less contentious than Ono's. The board grilled Ono, who resigned as president of the University of Michigan to pursue the top job at UF, for almost three hours, mostly over his past support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which he sought to distance himself from ahead of the interview. But on Thursday, it was clear from the outset that board members liked what they saw in Landry."

"Prior to the vote, University of Florida Board of Trustees chair Mori Hosseini ticked off Landry's accomplishments, noting he is a celebrated physician and academic. Hosseini also highlighted his various roles, such as chair emeritus of the Department of Medicine at Columbia University and president of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters, as well as his prior experience on the President's Council on Bioethics during the George W. Bush administration, among other achievements."

Donald Landry was unanimously approved as interim president of the University of Florida three months after Santa Ono was rejected in a split vote. Landry has an extensive academic résumé but has never been a college president. The one-year contract sets a $2 million base salary with up to $500,000 in bonuses and guarantees $2 million in severance if he is not chosen for the permanent role. Landry's interview lasted around 30 minutes and was less contentious than Ono's, whose interview prompted nearly three hours of questioning over past support for diversity, equity and inclusion. Mori Hosseini highlighted Landry's medical leadership, academic honors and federal bioethics service.

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