USF selects prominent lawyer, grad as new president

Rhea Law to replace Steve Currall, board of trustees says

Rhea Law selected as University of South Florida president-elect. (University of South Florida)

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida’s board of trustees has elevated the school’s interim president to the official position.

The trustees voted Tuesday to hire Rhea Law, a prominent Tampa attorney and USF grad, to replace Steve Currall, who resigned in July. Law had been hired to temporarily replace him. The trustees chose Law, 72, over Jeffrey Talley, a former chief of the U.S. Army Reserve who has held several academic positions.

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“Rhea Law knows USF through and through,” said search committee chairman Mike Griffin, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “Just like USF, Rhea is scrappy. She works hard. A lot of folks have counted her out, they count us out, but to their own peril.”

Law's contract has yet to be negotiated, but her annual pay will be between $760,000 to $1.1 million.

The state Board of Governors must still approve the selection.

USF has approximately 32,000 undergraduate students.


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