Florida's two best-known universities — fiercely competitive on the athletic field and among their alumni — are each getting new presidents that vary significantly in their background and experience. The state board that oversees Florida's state university system on Thursday officially confirmed the selections for the University of Florida and Florida State University. The Board of Governors approved the hires while meeting on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. The University of Florida, which is striving to become one of the nation's leading public universities, will now be led by Cornell University Provost W. Kent Fuchs. Florida State, which wants to join the same elite group of research schools that its rival is already a part of, is going with powerful Republican state Sen. John Thrasher as its president. "Thrasher and Fuchs each have unique strengths that will immensely benefit two of our system's largest institutions," said Mori Hosseini, chairman of the
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