UF President Ben Sasse is stepping down after less than two years in office.
Sasse announced his resignation in a UF news release Thursday night, citing his wife’s recent epilepsy diagnosis.
“My wife Melissa’s recent epilepsy diagnosis and a new batch of memory issues have been hard, but we’re facing it together,” Sasse wrote in the release. “Our two wonderful daughters are in college, but our youngest is just turning 13. Gator Nation needs a president who can keep charging hard, Melissa deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights. I need to step back and rebuild more stable household systems for a time. I’m going to remain involved in serving our UF students — past, present, and future — but I need to walk arm-in-arm with my dearest friend more hours of every week.”
The UF Board of Trustees is expected to announce an interim president. Sasse will continue to serve as President Emeritus and a UF professor.
