In a highly anticipated announcement following a year of tumult on campus, the University of Florida said Thursday it has zeroed in on a national political figure to be its next president: Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska.
Sasse, 50, emerged as the sole finalist in a search that took place under a new Florida law that keeps the key early stages of a public university’s presidential selection process out of the public eye. But UF officials sought to allay any concerns, calling their process “exhaustive.”
Members of the school’s presidential search committee reached out to more than 700 leaders, narrowing the field to what they called “a dozen highly qualified diverse candidates,” including nine who were sitting presidents at major research universities. The university declined to name anyone in that group.
