UF Trustees unanimously appoint renowned Columbia University medical researcher Dr. Donald W. Landry interim president
Press release from the University of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida Board of Trustees today voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Donald W. Landry as interim president of the University of Florida.
Dr. Landry, chair emeritus of Columbia University’s Department of Medicine, is an internationally renowned physician-scientist, president of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters, and a recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor.
Landry’s term begins Sept. 1, 2025. His appointment must be confirmed by Florida’s Board of Governors, which is expected to consider the matter at its next meeting Sept. 10-11.
“Dr. Landry is a highly accomplished scientist whose work is recognized around the world,” said Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees. “He has shown exceptional leadership in academia and beyond, building programs with innovation, energy, and integrity. I am confident that Dr. Landry will bring those same talents to the University of Florida in service to the students, faculty, and people of the great state of Florida.”
Dr. Landry said, “It is an extraordinary honor to serve the University of Florida at such an important moment in its history. UF has made remarkable strides over the past 10 years and is now recognized as one of the top public universities in the country, and I look forward to working with its remarkable faculty, staff, and students to continue building on that momentum.”
Academic Roles and Leadership
Landry is the Hamilton Southworth Professor at the New York Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center and director of the Center for Human Longevity at Columbia. He also is past Physician-in-Chief of New York Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center. He founded and directed the Division of Experimental Therapeutics and is the past chief of the Division of Nephrology.
Under his leadership as chair of Columbia’s Department of Medicine, philanthropy grew fourfold, NIH funding tripled, and the department rose to No. 3 in the national NIH rankings. Faculty numbers doubled and clinical revenues reached record highs, establishing Columbia’s Department of Medicine as a national destination for research, teaching, and patient care.
Research and Innovation
Dr. Landry’s research contributions span artificial enzyme approaches to cocaine addiction and overdose; small molecule drug development across neuro, cardiac, and oncologic targets; and the discovery of the syndrome of vasopressin deficiency in vasodilatory shock states. He has published over 150 articles and holds 50 U.S. patents. He was a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics in 2008-09 and was elected to the National Academy of Inventors in 2015.
Education and Recognition
Landry is both a Ph.D. and an M.D. He completed his doctorate in organic chemistry under Nobel laureate R.B. Woodward at Harvard University in 1979 and earned his medical degree from Columbia in 1983. After completing his residency in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, he returned to Columbia for training as a National Institutes of Health physician-scientist from 1985 to 1990.
In 2008, Landry received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President George W. Bush for “diverse and pioneering research and his efforts to improve the well-being of his fellow man.” The medal was established in 1969 to recognize U.S. citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for the nation.
Board is smart to go fishing at anti-Israel woke universities. I just hope he doesn’t have a social media background with Fauci 💉💉💉💵💵💵
Dr. Landry actually filed an amicus brief in support of Florida AG Ashley Moody in their Supreme Court case against Fauci and the federal government’s using of social media platforms to ban speech that did not conform to their views of Covid. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-555/298555/20240123165205271_22-277%20-555%20bsac%20Landry%20Final.pdf
real JK: Let’s take a deep breath and give the man a chance. He was obviously well vetted in light of the last fiasco and certainly has solid academic credentials. They had to have taken a “deep dive” on scrutinizing him so maybe we can for once calm down and let cool heads prevail. The sun will come up tomorrow regardless of whom is at the helm at UF.
Yes my comment may have been misinterpreted as anti-Landry. But I meant UF is smart to go looking at Columbia, where there must be somebody wanting to get out of there for the stated reasons. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Sorry fellow leftists….he doesn’t meet your unqualified DEI status requirement. However, the rest of us who have our heads screwed on straight think he’s ‘peachy keen’.
lou – sounds you know something we readers do not? As I said to realJK applies to you; to wit, real JK: Let’s take a deep breath and give the man a chance. He was obviously well vetted in light of the last fiasco and certainly has solid academic credentials. They had to have taken a “deep dive” on scrutinizing him so maybe we can for once calm down and let cool heads prevail. The sun will come up tomorrow regardless of whom is at the helm at UF.
Here are statements made by Dr. Landry in his amicus brief in support of Florida and Texas in their Supreme Court case against the federal government’s use of social media platforms to suppress free speech in regards to Covid.
Dr. Landry writes this brief not with any
precommitment or predisposition for or against any
medical treatments discussed in this brief but rather
in defense of the freedom of scientific inquiry and
debate. He began his distinguished career confident in
this freedom and the resulting progress of medical
science, but he now fears that it is profoundly
endangered. He therefore writes this brief, hoping to
convey that it is not merely political opinion at risk. At
stake is nothing less than modern empirical science
and all its blessings.
Amicus is directly interested in this case’s outcome
because of his devotion to teaching doctors and caring
for patients. Any limitation on the freedom of scientific
debate tends to diminish scientific knowledge and the
integrity of science. He and his patients and his
students and trainees thus cannot afford any
impediments to open scientific discussion.
The above-stated interests and issues are relevant
to this court’s resolution of this appeal. Therefore,
Amicus respectfully submits this amicus curiae brief
to aid this court in its review.
Give it a rest MAGA dummies. UF should be thrilled they can attract someone as credentialed as this guy after the Board of Trustees embarrased themselves by rejecting an over quaified candidate after asking him nothing about anything but DEI – I watched the entire hearing and vote – which is a dead letter by law at UF and will have nothing to do with whether the candidate can be creative and skillful attracting funds (his main job), faculty, and top students.
This is a lot better than I expected after that debacle of establishment dumb asses and hopefully the permanent replacement will be similarly credentialed, and not another over the hill state politician like the other 4 U prez’s named to state U’s this year.
I hate it when I have to agree with Jazzman. 🙂
But in this instance he is right, Dr Landry is a top candidate and not a hack politician like our last President. He will be an excellent leader for UF.
It was the Board of Governors that rejected the presidential candidate, not the Board of Trustees.
That’s correct and my bad. Whatever they are called the board that oversees UF voted unanimously for Ono and the board that oversees the state system and has to approve these hires voted against him, I believe 10-6. As I pointed out, for 2 hours they grilled Ono and except for 2 lines of questions by the student rep (“how will you engage students in your administration”) and another yes voter about finances, ALL QUESTIONS were about DEI. These appointed board members are captains of industry, principles of large corporations, professionals from powerful law and business offices, and decided to focus on a dead issue on which Ono – like the good politician university presidents have to be – told them what they wanted to hear. This was large scale stupidity from people who’s impressive credentials are now highly questionable. The chairman of the board rightly looked sick announcing the vote, realizing the foolishness and damage to the university his assortment of clowns had just wrought.
Decent pick. Let’s see how he does.
He has been hired as an interim place holder, not the permanent president. That said, it would be great if he shows himself as a positive and desired permanent president.
Another DemoCrook Liberal from
NY State! GO BACK!
With several lifetime’s worth of major accomplishments and involvement I don’t see him finding the time to run a 9 billion dollar university.
We once had a similar President who did great things for the University of Florida, in fact, got it headed in the direction that made it the great university it is (member of AAU, etc.) and that was Dr. Marston.