Dr. Santa Ono, just months after failing to be confirmed as the University of Florida’s 14th president, has landed a new gig, this time in the United Kingdom.
The Ellison Institute of Technology announced on Aug. 18 that it has appointed Ono as president of EIT Global and that he will collaborate with President of EIT Oxford John Bell to further develop and expand EIT Oxford’s science programs. Ono also will be responsible for all of EITs operations globally
EIT is a research institute that focuses on developing and deploying commercially sustainable solutions to global issues with a concentration in health, medical science and generative biology, food security and sustainable agriculture, clean energy generation and storage and artificial intelligence and robotics.
Ono, in an EIT press release, said he was deeply honored to be appointed president and that he believes this “innovative approach” represents the most exciting investment in fundamental and applied research.
“I look forward to collaborating with EIT’s leadership teams worldwide to advance Larry Ellison’s bold vision,” Ono said.
Ono holds a doctorate in experimental medicine from McGill University and held previous faculty appointments at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Harvard University and University College London.
He served as president of the University of Cincinnati from 2012 to 2016, president of the University of British Columbia in Canada from 2016 to 2022, and president of the University of Michigan from 2022 to 2025.
The University of Florida announced on May 4 that Ono was the sole finalist for its next president. Questions however, swirled about his past support of DEI initiatives at the University of Michigan, his thoughts on climate change, and his position on antisemitism.
“Florida cannot afford to inject wokeness into our flagship university. This selection must be blocked and the search committee must start over,” U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds, R-Naples, wrote on X. Other prominent Florida Republicans, including Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Bradenton, also questioned UF’s selection of Ono.
UF’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved Ono as its president-elect on May 27.
The Florida Board of Governors, the governing body for the state’s 12 public universities, eventually voted down Ono as UF’s next president on June 3. It was the first time in the history of the BOG that it voted down a university trustee board’s leadership selection.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Two months after being denied UF presidency, Santa Ono lands new job with EIT Global
Reporting by Elliot Tritto, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
