University of North Florida President and University of South Florida presidential finalist Moez Limayem. Credit: University of North Florida/Facebook

Moez Limayem, the University of North Florida’s president, is the sole finalist for the same job at the University of South Florida, the Tampa Bay-area university announced Tuesday. 

USF introduced him as “an accomplished, energetic and passionate higher education leader with deep ties to USF and the Tampa Bay region.”

Ties, indeed; before becoming UNF’s president in 2022, he was dean of USF’s business college for 10 years.

“The University of South Florida and the Tampa Bay region are special to my family and me,” Limayem said in a news release. “I have always enjoyed working with USF faculty, staff, students, alumni, supporters and the community’s business leaders and I am honored to be considered to lead this great university in its continued pursuit of excellence.”

Community forums regarding Limayem’s potential presidency are yet to be scheduled. Following forums, USF trustees must vote on Limayem. If approved, final confirmation is in the hands of the Florida Board of Governors. 

USF started searching for a new president in February after Rhea Law announced she would step down at the conclusion of a presidential search. 

Law, an attorney and former chair of the school’s board of trustees, started as interim president in 2021 before officially becoming president in 2022. Former governors Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist appointed Law to the board from 2001 until 2013, overlapping with Limayem at USF at the beginning and end of his stint as dean. 

“We conducted a thorough process that included reviewing an outstanding group of highly qualified candidates from across the nation before deciding that Moez is the best choice for our USF community,” Mike Griffin, chair of the USF search committee, said in a news release. Griffin, a Tampa real estate figure, is vice chair of the trustees. 

“He brings a strong track record of presidential success in Florida in his current role, and we experienced the impact of his leadership firsthand when he led our Muma College of Business,” Griffin continued. “We are confident that Moez is the right person to accelerate our momentum and lead us to even greater heights in the next chapter of our university.”

Limayem became UNF’s president in August 2022. USF touted his presidency at UNF, marked by record enrollment this year. 

He received a master’s of business administration and doctorate degree in information systems from the University of Minnesota in 1988 and 1992, respectively. 

Before his first stint as USF, Limayem was an associate dean at the University of Arkansas College of Business. 

USF keeps with a trend of announcing sole finalists for a president’s position despite regulations requiring “an unranked list of final applicants.” Florida International University and the University of Florida, twice, did the same.

“The search committee is required to submit more than two qualified applicants, selected by a majority vote of the search committee, to the board of trustees for consideration, other than in exceptional circumstances making fulfillment of this requirement infeasible, in which case the committee must discuss why fewer than three applicants are being recommended and whether additional applications should be considered,” Board of Governors regulations state.

If Limayem is confirmed, USF will have swerved a trend of selecting presidents with histories of political service — unlike FIU, Florida Atlantic University, New College of Florida, Florida A&M University, and at the University of West Florida (an interim president). 

Now, UNF will become the latest state institution to begin a search for a new president.

Florida House Rep. Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) celebrated the announcement on social media.

“Great news from the USF Presidential Search Committee! I’m excited about this recent update and wish Moez all the best throughout the selection process,” she posted on X.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

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This article appears in Sept. 25 – Oct. 1, 2025.