University of Michigan President Santa Ono Tapped to Lead University of Florida
By Romen Basu Borsellino | 05 May, 2025

Japanese American Santa Ono will become the University’s first Asian President

In 2012 immunology professor Dr. Santa J. Ono became the University of Cincinnati's first Asian American President. 

A decade later, Ono accepted the job of President at the University of Michigan, once again becoming the first Asian American to hold the position.

Now, as the search for the University of Florida’s next president comes to a conclusion, Ono is poised for to make history again. On Sunday Ono was announced as the search committee’s unanimous pick.

Despite Ono’s constant history-making performances and prowess in both academia and leadership — not to mention a rather unusual name — he’s still competing to be the most interesting member of his own family. 

His father Takashi Ono, a mathematician, first emigrated from Japan to the United States on an invitation from Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. The senior Ono went on to teach at the University of British Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, and John Hopkins University. He’s still going strong at age 96.

Santa’s brother Ken Ono, a fellow academic, not only teaches math at the University of Virginia, but uses mathematical analysis to advise competitive swimmers both at UVA and on the US olympic team. Not to mention his experience consulting on a movie with Jeremy Irons and acting in a Miller Lite commercial. 

Ono’s selection comes at a moment when both academia and diversity initiatives are under attack by the Trump administration. Yet Ono isn’t necessarily known for his support of the latter. In fact, just this past spring, Ono oversaw closure of the University of Michigan’s DEI office, as well as the elimination of the school’s DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan launched in 2023. 

One might wonder if Ono’s willingness to table DEI-efforts will help him secure the necessary support of Florida’s Board of Governors, who will ultimately vote on whether or not to approve his appointment. Thirteen of the Board’s seventeen members were appointed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis or his Republican predecessor. Ono will succeed former University of Florida President Ben Sasse, who was tapped for the position while serving as a Republican Senator from Nebraska. 

In a statement University of Florida Presidential Search Committee Chair praised “Dr. Ono’s proven record of academic excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions.”  He added “We are confident he is the right person to build on UF’s strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future.”

Ono himself broke the news of his departure from the University of Michigan in an email on Sunday. The message described his time at Michigan as a “distinct honor” and pointed to numerous accomplishments during his time there, which included successes in AI, access and affordability, research, fundraising, sustainability, infrastructure, and civil discourse. He also noted some of his favorite campus moments, which included “ singing “Mr. Brightside” together in joyful unity.”

In addition to all of Ono’s history-making roles, he also served as president of his father’s onetime employer, the University of British Columbia. Unfortunately, Ono could not claim the mantle of UBC’s “First Asian President,” a distinction already belonging to previous President Arvind Gupta.