UNF tabs USF business dean Moez Limayem as next president

The University of North Florida has observed its subsequent president — University of South Florida Muma Faculty of Business Dean Moez Limayem.

Limayem was picked above 3 other finalists to be successful David Szymanski as president of the Jacksonville faculty:

• David Blackwell, a professor of finance and former provost at the College of Kentucky.
• David Brennen, a professor of legislation and former dean of the legislation school at the University of Kentucky.
• Marc Miller, dean of the regulation school at the College of Arizona.

Szymanski stepped down last year.

The appointment nonetheless requirements the acceptance of the state’s Board of Governors, which is slated to satisfy June 29-30 in Orlando.

“Dr. Limayem has a tested record as an progressive and attained leader with the eyesight to advance the College,” Kevin Hyde, chair of the UNF board of trustees, stated in a news launch. “As we rejoice UNF’s 50th yr, we glance ahead to Dr. Limayem employing his knowledge, management and partaking style to continue to develop on our powerful record, rising opportunities for college students and maximizing the University’s important position in the location and over and above.”

Limayem, 58, joined the Muma University of Enterprise in 2012 just after serving as the affiliate dean for analysis and graduate packages at the University of Arkansas Sam W. Walton College or university of Company.

Due to the fact then, he’s aided increase more than $126 million bucks for the college, together with many naming gifts of additional than $10 million every:

• Pam and Les Muma gave $25 million — the single biggest present in USF record in 2014
• Lynn Pippenger has specified much more than $22 million to USF, including $10 million to USF and its accounting packages, which now bear her identify. The endowed deanship for the College of Organization was also named for Pippenger soon after a $5 million donation in 2020
• Barron Gift Collier III and his wife, Dana, gave $10.85 million to the university for the Collier University student Achievement Middle in 2015
• and Arnie and Lauren Bellini gave $10 million in 2020 to develop the Bellini Middle for Expertise Development.

Limayem also oversaw the growth of the college’s freshman retention price to 95 p.c, along with very similar progress in occupation placement fees.

When Limayem joined USF in 2012, he told WUSF’s University Conquer that amongst his aims was acquiring absent from a educating design and style he called “Death by PowerPoint” and instead improve scholar internships and other connections with likely businesses.

“We want our learners to have meaningful professional ordeals,” he explained. “We do more than just disseminate expertise, we get ready our students for a specialist occupation, so when they begin doing work, they are much better than the other individuals who experienced the dose of PowerPoint.”

Limayem has a sturdy intercontinental qualifications, like serving as an pro in IT for the United Nations Instructional, Scientific and Cultural Business (UNESCO) given that 1992 and training at the University of Minnesota, Laval University in Canada, Town University of Hong Kong, and College of Lausanne in Switzerland.

USF President Rhea Regulation set out a assertion Monday afternoon, congratulating Limayem.

“I deeply enjoy all that Dean Limayem has contributed in the earlier decade to elevate small business education and learning and investigation at the University of South Florida, the passionate management he introduced to the university and his company to USF,” said Regulation. “His means to hook up with employers and swiftly form curriculum as our earth improvements has led to the development of new applications in fintech and cybersecurity, as properly as the addition of majors in offer chain management and own economic arranging.”

Regulation also said USF programs to carry out a nationwide lookup for Limayem’s successor.

Limayem is the most up-to-date in a series of USF officers to depart the college.

Provost Ralph Wilcox is stepping down in August right after around 14 years in the job. Higher education of Arts and Sciences Dean Eric Eisenberg will serve as interim provost although the search for Wilcox’s successor carries on. Wilcox will keep on being at USF as a professor.

Senior vice provost and Dean of the Office environment of Graduate Research Dwayne Smith is also retiring August 6 just after 22 several years at USF.

And USF St. Petersburg campus regional chancellor Martin Tadlock is stepping down June 17 and will be returning to a training job in the USF Higher education of Education and learning. He joined USF in 2016 and has served as chancellor given that 2017.