University of Florida president Ben Sasse announced late Thursday that he will leave his position of nearly two years to focus on taking care of his family after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a post on the social platform X, the former US senator from Nebraska said that \u201cafter extensive prayer and lots of family tears,\u201d he asked university officials that day to start looking for a new president. In a statement, the university said his resignation is effective July 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need to step back for a time and focus more on the needs of my family while we rebuild more stable household systems,\u201d Sasse said, adding that he would continue to teach at the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sasse\u2019s wife, Melissa, who had an aneurysm and a series of strokes in 2007, was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and has been having \u201ca new batch of memory issues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve battled some nasty seizures the last couple years, but she\u2019s always remained a warrior,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The couple has two daughters in college, and their youngest child is turning 13, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sasse, a Republican, left the senate last year after being named the 13th president of the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While in the Senate, he was a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump who joined with a handful of other Republicans to vote in favor of conviction his impeachment trial after the 2021 Capitol riot. That led to criticism from within Sasse\u2019s own party even though he voted with Trump 85% of the time and helped get his three Supreme Court nominees confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chair of the university\u2019s board of trustees, Mori Hosseini, thanked Sasse for his leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe has left a lasting impact on the university and all of those associated with it. We wish Ben all the best as he steps back to focus on his family,\u201d Hosseini said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sasse thanked the university for welcoming his family and said he was grateful for the professors and students as well those behind the scenes, like third-shift maintenance crews and the early morning cafeteria workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe love you. You touched our hearts and made this more than a job \u2014 you made it our community,\u201d Sasse said. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n