Christopher Emmanuel

Florida Man, with some personal opinions to share.

[FLORIDA @UF]

The University of Florida was copied this week on a letter that included allegations related to its presidential search process, including the false assertion that UF violated state law to avoid public transparency in selecting a presidential search finalist.  

That allegation is categorically untrue.  

The University of Florida has complied fully with both Florida law and the regulations established by the Board of Governors throughout every stage of this presidential search. 

Florida’s presidential search framework intentionally establishes a two-phase process.  In the first phase, state law expressly requires confidentiality for applicants and search committee deliberations.  Committee members sign non-disclosure agreements, and candidate interviews, discussions, and the selection process are legally required to be conducted outside of the public view.  The law further provides that while a finalist may be publicly announced, information regarding other candidates and committee deliberations remain confidential.   

This framework was adopted for a reason: without confidentiality, many of the nation’s most qualified candidates simply would not participate in public university searches. Florida’s process reflects a deliberate policy choice by the Legislature and the Board of Governors to ensure universities can attract the strongest possible candidates while still providing robust public scrutiny of finalists. 

The second phase of the process, the phase now underway, is entirely public. 

The search finalist, Dr. Stuart Bell will participate in public forums open to faculty, students, staff, the public and the media.  Members of the community will have the opportunity to ask questions on a wide range of topics, including Dr. Bell’s positions and leadership decisions regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. 

In addition to these forums, the Board of Trustees will interview Dr. Bell at a public meeting.  If selected as president-elect, the Florida Board of Governors will interview Dr. Bell at a public confirmation hearing.  Both hearings are open to the public, including students, faculty, staff, the public and the media.  

Reasonable people may hold differing views regarding any candidate. But it is wrong to suggest that UF circumvented the law or operated outside the bounds of transparency established by the State of Florida.  The University followed the exact process required under Florida law, a process designed to both protect the integrity of the search and ensure meaningful public accountability. 

The University of Florida remains fully committed to selecting a president who will advance UF’s trajectory as one of the nation’s premier public research universities while remaining aligned with the values, priorities, and laws of the State of Florida. 

We encourage all interested members of the UF community to participate in the public forums and public meetings ahead.

[FLORIDA @UF]

Dr. Stuart Bell has been unanimously recommended by UF’s Presidential Search Committee as the sole finalist for consideration by the Board of Trustees to serve as the University of Florida’s 14th president.
https://t.co/geBPiPgb4X

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

One of the coolest projects at ⁦@UF⁩ and best public assets in Florida! https://t.co/9SxByrxjVy

[FLORIDA @UF]

See you soon, Jacksonville! 🐊

The @CityofJax just approved over 20 acres of land and $50 million for UF’s new campus, set to open in 2026. https://t.co/GNYnBHB3HA

[Empire State Building @EmpireStateBldg]

Shining in @GatorsMBK’s blue and orange for the rest of the night in honor of their NCAA Championship Victory

[Florida Gators Men’s Basketball @GatorsMBK]

YOUR 2025 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.

[Ron DeSantis @GovRonDeSantis]

Great to visit the Space Coast today to announce the Florida University Space Research Consortium—our state’s official space research entity. The consortium consists of the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in partnership with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Home to a thriving aerospace industry and world-class higher education institutions, Florida is the ideal place to launch this initiative. We are primed to lead the nation in developing a blueprint for state-space partnerships into the future.

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

Rounding out the list is Tom Holland’s Dominion, a magisterial work on the history of Christianity and how it formed the West. For someone that loves grand histories, this is simply one of the best. (Thanks @RyanSmithFL for loaning me this!)

https://t.co/zTtbrCyBFn

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

2024 was a great year for our growing bookshelf, and these five were the best ones I read this year:

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

Jonathan Haidt’s Anxious Generation is a must read for thinking about how social media is changing - and maybe ruining - adolescence in the West. For one thing, it’s made me a lot less active on this site.

https://t.co/GP9SBuU1jb

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

❤️

[Florida Politics @Fla_Pol]

Personnel note: Elizabeth Emmanuel now VP at Florida Trucking Association

https://t.co/cgGdxk7Img

#FlaPol

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

Thanks to everyone that made #GatorDay a success! It was one for the books!

[FLORIDA @UF]

Thanks for showing out for #GatorDay and telling the world why it’s so great to be a Florida Gator! 🐊

[Leadership Florida @LeadershipFla]

.@ChrisEmmanuelFL (#ConnectClass9, #NorthwestRegion) began a new role as director of government affairs for @UF. He will lead the Tallahassee office and work with the university community, policymakers, and other stakeholders on various public policy and funding issues.

[Florida Politics @Fla_Pol]

Personnel note: @ChrisEmmanuelFL to joining government relations team at @UF.

https://t.co/5dDOhrluoC

#FlaPol

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

You mean you didn’t like the nine hour series that answered the question “what if Boba Fett ran an HOA?”?

[Ryan Smith @RyanSmithFL]

Boba Fett returned and unsurprisingly, not even a healthy dose of Grogu could save the finale. Showing his decision up front removed any drama. Boba Fett is a nice guy and now Tatooine is a happy place? Eh. This was an unnecessary series and a big miss by Disney.

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

This does feel right…

[Sean Carroll @seanmcarroll]

Quantitative, "rationality-related" words appear more and more frequently after 1850 -- until declining after 1980, replaced by more emotional language.
https://t.co/Jf19FHYUnY

[Christopher Emmanuel @ChrisEmmanuelFL]

Great book, but it’s taken me two months to get halfway through it. Looks like I can comment on politics by early 2022…

[Nick Riccardi @NickRiccardi]

Proposal: No one is allowed on Political Twitter until they have read The Power Broker