Stuart R. Bell

Stuart Ray Bell (born 1957) is an American academic currently serving as the 14th President of the University of Florida. He served as the 29th president of the University of Alabama from July 2015 through July 2025.

Early life and education Stuart R. Bell was born in Abilene, Texas, in 1957. He has credited the teachers he had growing up with helping spark his interest in science. He graduated from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear engineering in 1979.

Career

Academic and early administrative career Before embarking on his 40-year career as an academic and higher education administrator, Bell briefly worked for ExxonMobil after completing his undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University. There, he designed oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Bell would return to Texas A&M and earn his doctorate in mechanical engineering in 1986.

With research interest in combustion engines, Bell has expertise in alternative fuels for engines, innovative engine designs, and modeling of engine and engine processes. He directed the University of Alabama's Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies from 1998 to 2002.

Bell was awarded the Society of Automotive Engineers' Ralph Teetor Award for Outstanding Contributions to Research and Teaching in 1988. He was presented the T. Morris Hackney Faculty Leadership Award for the UA College of Engineering in 2001, and, in 2005, he received the Richard S. Woodbury Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

In 2002, Bell left Alabama for the University of Kansas, where he served as dean of the College of Engineering until 2012. This position would require him to also serve as chief academic officer and administrator at the University of Kansas. From 2012 through 2015, he was executive vice president and provost at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

President of the University of Alabama Bell began his tenure as the 29th President of the University of Alabama in July 2015. During his tenure as university president, Bell oversaw the growth of the student body from around 37,000 students to over 40,000 students.

President of the University of Florida On May 18, 2026, Bell was named the sole finalist to become the 14th President of the University of Florida. He was unanimously confirmed by the University of Florida Board of Trustees on June 10, 2026. Following a delay in consideration from the Florida Board of Governors , Bell was appointed as Interim President effective June 22, 2026. On July 1, 2026, Bell was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors to become the 14th President of the University of Florida.

Personal life He is married to Susan Bell. They have two sons, Stuart and Stephen, and a daughter, Stacy.