Greetings from Interim President Pamela Chally

Dear Fellow Ospreys,

Today, I am humbled and honored to begin my term as your interim president. For almost 30 years, I have been part of this amazing community. Serving UNF in the past as a dean, professor and administrative leader, I have personally witnessed how this University can transform the lives of students, advance innovation and talent for the state, and positively impact our community. As interim president, I look forward to working with the exceptional faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of UNF to seize the opportunities and challenges ahead, creating a better future for all Ospreys.

UNF is now recognized as one of our nation’s top public universities and a place where students of all backgrounds can receive a world-class education. UNF is uniquely focused on student success, offering a high quality, affordable education with small class sizes, individualized attention, experiential learning opportunities, strong career outcomes and a vibrant student life.

I am extremely proud of what we have all built together here at UNF, but our work is far from over. We must continue our steadfast commitment to students, and that includes raising our retention and graduation rates, advancing our teaching and research excellence, fostering diversity and inclusion in everything we do, and investing in innovative programs and practices that drive student achievement.

I recognize that only together can we truly achieve the University’s lofty ambitions. During my time as interim president, I want to hear your voices, listen to your challenges and celebrate your achievements. Whether an impromptu conversation with students, coffee with faculty or staff, or a more formal town hall meeting, I want to ensure we have plenty of opportunities to exchange ideas and experiences.

I also want to acknowledge the continued concerns brought on by COVID-19. I want to reassure all of you that the health and safety of the Osprey community is our top priority. To protect one another, I encourage all Ospreys to get vaccinated, wear a mask indoors, take advantage of on-campus testing and stay home if you are sick.

As we begin this journey together, I want to thank all of the colleagues, students, family and friends who have reached out with words of encouragement over the past few weeks and all of those who have supported me during my 28-year career here at UNF.  I am especially thankful for my supportive husband, Rod, who has a been on this ride with me for 50+ years, my children and their spouses (three of whom are UNF alumni), and my five granddaughters, the oldest of whom is a junior studying biology at UNF. 

I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to serve the Osprey community. I am exceedingly hopeful and optimistic about the future of this University, and I look forward to working with all of you to help UNF achieve new heights.

Sincerely,

Pamela S. Chally
Interim President