UF President Kent Fuchs said he drinks between five and 10 cups of coffee every day.
Some of it comes from the five Starbucks on campus. Some of it he makes at home in an espresso machine he received as a gift from former students.
And while Fuchs’ affinity for the caffeinated beverage is hard to tell behind his calm and collected demeanor, his passion for interacting with students is hard to miss.
Since becoming UF’s 12th president on Jan. 1, Fuchs has made it a goal to meet as many students as possible. Six months later, Fuchs admits he has yet to meet everyone but said he makes it a purpose to be as visible on campus as possible.
He walks around campus, introducing himself to anyone he sees. He keeps up to date with his nearly 5,000 Twitter followers and exchanges emails with students on a daily basis. And he’s not afraid to take a selfie when asked.
“I feel like I’ve really been able to get a sense of the students, and I think the students know that I am intentionally accessible,” Fuchs said.
Student Body President Joselin Padron-Rasines said she has enjoyed working with Fuchs, who she described as vibrant and outgoing.
“He’s not tucked away in his office in Tigert Hall,” Padron-Rasines said. “He makes an effort to connect with the students.”
As Fuchs prepares for his first Fall semester as president, he said he plans to continue building relationships. In addition to building better personal bonds with the state legislatures, Fuchs said he wants to meet more extensively with UF’s deans and department chairs in order to better find out each college’s immediate and long-term goals.
Fuchs also said he is excited to see how his goal-setting task force, which is set to release a draft of its goals Friday, progresses.
“This will give us a clear roadmap and timeline of what we want to accomplish on behalf of the university,” he said.
Fuchs said he still has a lot to learn as he transitions to the final half of his first year as UF’s president.
“But if anything, that’s one of the most enjoyable parts of my job,” he said.
And as Fuchs continues to learn, he’ll more than likely have a cup of coffee by his side as he takes in everything.
“A university is only as strong as its coffee,” Fuchs said.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 7/23/15]
- As he revealed during the Spring commencement ceremony, he has Siri on his iPhone refer to him as “Foxy Gator.”
- His favorite restaurants in Gainesville, at least for this week, are Reggae Shack and Southern Charm.
Kent Fuchs
Kent Fuchs
