Donald Landry, former chairman of the Department of Medicine at Columbia University, was approved Monday to serve as interim president of the University of Florida.

With little comment, the University of Florida Board of Trustees backed Landry to replace Kent Fuchs in the interim role as the Gainesville school prepares to restart a presidential search early next year. Fuchs, a former UF president, became the school’s interim leader last year after Ben Sasse resigned as president.

Landry, whose term is set to begin Sept. 1, must be confirmed by the state university system’s Board of Governors next month.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican leaders frequently target Columbia for what they say is “woke” ideology and the Ivy League school’s handling of pro-Palestine protests after the 20

See Full Page