Moez Limayem has been unanimously chosen by the University of South Florida (USF) Board of Trustees to serve as the university’s ninth president. The decision was announced following a board meeting, and Limayem’s appointment now awaits confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System.
Limayem is currently president of the University of North Florida (UNF) and previously served for a decade as the Lynn Pippenger Dean of USF’s Muma College of Business. His leadership at UNF included record achievements such as welcoming the largest incoming class in the institution’s history and achieving its highest overall enrollment since its founding in 1972. UNF also recently set a new record for first-year student retention rates. The university is ranked first in Florida for the percentage of bachelor’s graduates employed within the state, following efforts to strengthen community and corporate partnerships.
During his time at UNF, Limayem received several honors, including being named one of Florida Trend’s 500 most influential business leaders, being recognized as an Ultimate CEO by the Jacksonville Business Journal, and receiving an award from the National Academy of Inventors for his work in innovation.
While serving as dean at USF, Limayem led fundraising efforts that resulted in over $126 million in private donations, highlighted by a $25 million gift from Pam and Les Muma in 2014—the largest individual gift in USF’s history at the time. He also worked to enhance career preparation, internships, and talent development for students. In 2022, he was listed among Tampa Bay’s Most Influential Business Leaders by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, and he is set to be inducted into the First Coast Business Hall of Fame later this year.
USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said, “Dr. Moez Limayem is an outstanding leader, who brings a unique combination of deep ties to the University of South Florida and Tampa Bay region, valuable experience as a university president in our state and a strong record of accomplishments in student success and engagement, research excellence, fundraising, corporate partnerships and much more.” He added, “Dr. Limayem brings a palpable energy and enthusiasm to every room he enters, and he is fully aligned on our vision for USF Athletics and the transformational impact of our new on-campus stadium. Under his leadership, we are poised to build on our momentum as a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and further capitalize on our location in one of the most vibrant and fastest-growing regions in the country.”
Limayem responded to his selection by stating, “I am honored and humbled to be unanimously selected by the USF Board of Trustees. Serving as USF president would be the greatest honor of my professional life. My family and I love USF and the Tampa Bay region, and I am thrilled by the prospect of returning home. As I was reminded during my visit to each USF campus last week, it is truly a special community.”
Limayem has also held positions at other institutions including associate dean for research and graduate programs at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business. He earned his MBA and doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
His wife Alya is a biology faculty member at UNF with multiple U.S. patents. She was named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors last year and recognized as a 2024 Rising Star by the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida.
The selection process followed state law and regulations set by the Board of Governors (BOG), involving stakeholder input, development of a position profile, candidate screening, finalist recommendation, and campus meetings with university community members.
The BOG will consider Limayem’s confirmation during its scheduled meeting on November 6.
