Speeches

Backstage Pass to the Very Best of FSU 6 p.m. Saturday, March 19 – Alumni Center Thank you, Cassandra. I want to commend you and all of the FSU students and Foundation staff who volunteered their time to make this wonderful weekend possible. Let me also extend my congratulations to Joyce Miles on winning the […]

6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23 — Museum of Fine Arts It is a joy to be here tonight, and it’s great to see so many friends from the community and the Legislature. This has been a fantastic month for celebrating the arts at FSU! We have just concluded the winter festival of Opening Nights, our […]

11:30 a.m. Thursday, February 18 – FSU Alumni Center Ballroom Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to be here to welcome you to campus and thank you for your commitment to Florida State University. Let me tell you, there is a real sense of excitement in the air about Florida State and the direction we are […]

Backstage Pass to the Very Best of FSU Wednesday, Feb. 17 — The Ringling, Sarasota It is my distinct pleasure to welcome all of you here tonight to experience a unique and exciting event. We’re thrilled to offer an exclusive sneak peek of The Ringling’s new Center for Asian Art in the Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt […]

11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26 – LPGA International Clubhouse, 1000 Champions Drive, Daytona Beach Thank you. It’s great to be back in Volusia County at the Tiger Bay Club! The last time I had the opportunity to speak to all of you was in 2010, and, well, a lot has happened since then. As you […]

7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016 — Ruby Diamond Concert Hall Good evening. I am so glad you could join us for Florida State University’s 28th annual celebration commemorating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We are honored to have Jelani Cobb here tonight. I want to welcome him to Florida […]

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 – The Ringling I’m happy to see so many friends and alumni here as we recognize our College of Medicine and its Sarasota campus. Thank you, Renee Hamad, our chair for this anniversary celebration, Steven High, and everyone who helped to make this a special event. I […]

November 20, 2015 Dear Members of the FSU Family, One year ago, a senseless act of violence occurred at Florida State University. One of the worst moments of my presidency was when I received a phone call in the early morning of Nov. 20 that a shooting had taken place at Strozier Library, in the […]

Monday, Nov. 16, 6 p.m. – President’s House Welcome. I’m so glad you could join me tonight as we honor faculty who transformed the academic lives of their students, and we recognize those students who nominated them for this special award. The Spiritual Life Project’s “Transformation Through Teaching” is such a wonderful program and is […]

Monday, Nov. 15, 3:30 p.m. – The Globe Auditorium Good afternoon and welcome. We are here today to talk about the importance of international education. As Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris reminded us, we truly are one world. On behalf of Florida State, I’d like to take just a moment to express my profound sympathies […]