Kent Fuchs admitted he took his first selfie at Innovation Academy’s convocation Jan. 5.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I think it’s really important that the president be accessible and visible to students. As some of you may have seen, I took a selfie. How many of you have taken a selfie?”
Even at 7:45 a.m., UF’s 12th president was full of energy, cracking jokes on stage in his orange-and-blue striped tie.
His second week on the job, Fuchs addressed a crowd of faculty and community members Tuesday morning about his goals for the university in the Century Ballroom at the Hilton UF Conference Center at the monthly Eye Opener Discovery Breakfast, organized by UF Community Relations.
“Being present and visible to students conveys a tone to students that faculty, indeed including the president, is a part of their community, that we’re not just sitting in Tigert Hall or some other place, and we’re here on their behalf,” he said.
That was Innovation Academy students’ first impression of him.
“It was a good icebreaker,” said Monique Figueroa, an 18-year-old UF business administration freshman. “He’s not just a serious man in a suit.”
Fuchs said UF has a well-deserved national reputation. As its new president, he said he hopes to continue the emerging innovation, explaining that it needs creativity to grow.
During the question-and-answer session, Fuchs said selectivity should be celebrated — UF can’t admit all good high school students.
He also said he is proud of the strive for preeminence and diversity.
Fuchs’ calendar is already filling up.
He is set to go on a multi-city tour and spent two days getting to know Gov. Rick Scott in Tallahassee.
“There were many, many important areas that are high priority for the university and me,” Fuchs said, “but my speech would’ve been 51 pages instead of 21 pages if I listed all of them.”
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 1/15/2015 under the headline “Fuchs delivers second-week report"]
Fuchs takes a selfie in the University Auditorium at the Innovation Academy convocation Jan. 5.
