Board of Trustees names Dr. Kenneth A. Jessell FIU's sixth president

October 17, 2022

Dear members of the university community,

Today, your FIU Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name Dr. Kenneth A. Jessell the university’s sixth president.

We are fortunate to have been able to recruit Dr. Jessell, who has served as interim president since January. His presidency now is pending confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors, which is scheduled to meet on November 9 and 10, 2022.

During the past few months, we have seen Dr. Jessell’s vision and his commitment to FIU. We are confident he is the individual uniquely suited to propel this university into its next 50 years. A Panther through and through, he has been part of the management team that has helped make FIU the fastest-rising university of the last 10 years in U.S. News & World Report public rankings. His work ethic, his sharp mind and kind heart are the hallmarks of great leadership.

Dr. Jessell was selected after the Presidential Search Committee, chaired by BOT Vice Chair Roger Tovar, worked with a search firm to identify, recruit, and interview candidates.

The search firm communicated with approximately 186 individuals regarding the position. From this group, more than 70 individuals submitted their documents to be considered by the search committee. Dr. Jessell stood out in a highly-qualified pool of 12 individuals that the Presidential Search Committee interviewed. Nine of the 12 were sitting, past or interim presidents.

Last week, the FIU community had opportunities to interact with Dr. Jessell during a series of forums. Transcripts from those sessions were reviewed by members of the Board of Trustees leading up to today’s vote.

I want to thank you — the FIU community — for participating in the sessions, for bringing forward challenges and opportunities, and for demonstrating your respect for Dr. Jessell, whom many of you know well from his 13-year track record of integrity and success at FIU.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Jessell on his appointment as FIU’s sixth president and supporting him as he embarks on this new assignment as the president of one of the largest and most dynamic institutions in the nation.

Go Panthers!

Dean C. Colson
Chair, FIU Board of Trustees