About President Bell

Dr. Stuart Bell is the 14th president of the University of Florida, effective July 1, 2026. He previously served as the president of the University of Alabama from 2015 to 2025, where he played a critical role in strengthening academic standards, increasing student enrollment, advancing championship-caliber athletics, and modernizing campus facilities.

Prior to his tenure as president of the University of Alabama, Dr. Bell served as provost and professor of engineering at Louisiana State University and as dean of the School of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas. He is also widely recognized for his research and publications on natural gas and combustion engines and was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2023. Dr. Bell earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and his B.S. in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University. He has been elected to membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Among his leadership roles, Dr. Bell serves or has served on the Executive Committee for Academic Affairs of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, on the Board of Directors for the Center for Science Education at the University of Kansas, as the Chairman of the Academic Advisory Council for the NSF’s Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets based at the University of Kansas, and as a trustee of the ASME Foundation.