The Inauguration of the 11th President of the University of Florida, J. Bernard Machen
Alumni, family and friends are invited to join the University of Florida community Sept. 9, 10 & 11 as it inaugurates its 11th president, J. Bernard “Bernie” Machen.
The inaugural celebration will showcase the university's many talents and accomplishments while honoring and welcoming Machen and his wife, Chris. Scheduled events include academic symposia by each of the university's colleges and units, nationally recognized guest speakers, Machen's installation ceremony and a public reception.
The two-day event also will kick off the university’s yearlong inaugural celebration, which will focus on Machen’s goals and direction for the university.
“It is a time for the university to come together and formally make Dr. Machen a part of the university,” says Manny Fernandez (BSEE '67), chairman of the UF Board of Trustees. “It is not only a celebration for the University of Florida, but also for our peer institutions to be able to welcome Dr. Machen as president of one of the largest institutions in the country.”
Machen, who took office Jan. 5, was educated as a pediatric dentist and held academic leadership positions at the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently, he was the president of the University of Utah, where he was credited with expanding the health sciences program, stabilizing the university’s finances and bolstering diversity among both students and faculty. He has often been lauded for his skills in fund raising, budgeting and peacemaking as well as for his charm and informality.
Machen attended Vanderbilt University and received his doctor of dental surgery degree from St. Louis University. He also has a master's in pediatric dentistry and a doctorate in educational psychology, both from the University of Iowa.
Machen is the latest in a distinguished line of university presidents at the University of Florida. Ten others have served as the university's standard-bearer, beginning with Andrew Sledd, who opened the Gainesville campus in 1906.