James Bernard Machen (; born March 26, 1944) is an American university
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
and administrator. Machen is a native of
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
, and earned several
academic degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...
s before becoming a university administrator and
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
. Machen had been the president of the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
in
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
and the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
in
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...
. He also sits on the
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Sanford Burnham Prebys is a 501(c)(3) non-profit medical research institute focusing on basic and translational research, with major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, infectious, inflammatory, and childhood diseases. The ...
's Board of Trustees. On June 8, 2012, Machen announced he would be stepping down as president in 2013. However, Machen was asked by state and university leaders to stay on, as the school had not yet found a suitable replacement. He was finally succeeded by
W. Kent Fuchs on January 1, 2015.
Early life and education
Machen was born in
Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta region, approximately 96 miles north of the state capital, Jackson, and 130 miles south of the riverp ...
in 1944, and grew up in
Saint Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which ...
.
[University of Florida, The President]
President Machen
. Retrieved October 24, 2012. He graduated from
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
with his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in 1966, and was a member of
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American fraternal literary societies. The fraternity has 244 active (undergraduate) chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more tha ...
Fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
(
Alpha Psi
Alpha Psi () is a professional Veterinary Medicine fraternity started at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1907.
History
Founded by twenty-two students in Veterinary Medicine at the Ohio State University, Alpha Psi w ...
Chapter). He also graduated from
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...
with his
doctor of dental surgery degree in 1968, from the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
with a
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
degree in
pediatric dentistry
Pediatric dentistry (formerly pedodontics in American English or paedodontics in Commonwealth English) is the branch of dentistry dealing with children
from birth through adolescence. The specialty of pediatric dentistry is recognized by the Ameri ...
in 1972 and a
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
degree in
educational psychology
Educational psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of human learning. The study of learning processes, from both cognitive and behavioral perspectives, allows researchers to understand individual differences i ...
in 1974.
Before Utah and Florida, Machen was employed in various capacities as professor and administrator by the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
and the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
.
[ Additionally, he served in various ways with the ]Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC)known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951was the U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on in the District of Columbia, it served more than 150,000 active and ret ...
, the National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
, and the American Association of Dental Schools.[ While serving as the president of the University of Utah, Machen served on the ]board of trustees
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
of the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...
. He is a retired U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
.[
]
University of Florida president
During Florida's 2004 search that resulted in the hiring of new head football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
coach Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...
, it was speculated that Machen's relationship with Meyer might play a role in the selection. Machen was the president at Utah when Meyer was hired as head coach there.[Dan Wetzel,]
A true champion
" Yahoo Sports! (December 5, 2006). Retrieved December 5, 2006.
During Machen's term, in 2006, the University of Florida came to agreement with Graduate Assistants United (GAU) to begin providing fully subsidized health care to graduate assistant
A graduate assistant serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education. The assistant typically helps professors with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants or with academic research respo ...
s. GAU is a labor union that represents graduate workers, teaching or research assistants, at UF. GAU negotiated with the administration to include the new program, in their collective bargaining agreement - the culmination of a long GAU campaign. The University of Florida's Graduate Student Council (GSC), an advocacy/student government group, had also worked to bring the issue to the administration's attention and with GAU had representatives on an advisory committee that reviewed bids from insurance companies.
In January 2009 Machen announced his initiative to increase diversity in the University of Florida's faculty. His leadership was instrumental in creating a Council on Diversity that will be in charge of collecting and analyzing data from different colleges and departments, as well as proposing policies to increase diversity around the university.
In February 2009, Machen and the Board of Trustees
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
stipulated that they are going to have the University of Florida go through a major transition. The Board of Trustees supported the reduction of the number of undergraduates and shifting resources to graduate education and research in the future.
In Fall 2010, Machen and Provost Joseph Glover :''for the 1630s pioneer of the printing press in the New World see Jose Glover''.
Joseph Glover is an American professor and currently serves as the Provost for the University of Florida.
Glover attended Cornell University for his bachelor's deg ...
were at the head of an effort to institute block tuition at the University of Florida. In replacement of having students pay by credit hour, students would have been charged a flat-rate fee analogous to 15 credits for full-time undergraduate students regardless of whether they take 12, 15 or 18 credits. The measure to submit proposals for this switch was approved by the Florida Board of Governors
The Florida Board of Governors is a 17-member governing board that serves as the governing body for the State University System of Florida, which includes all public universities in the state of Florida.
After its predecessor, the Florida Board of ...
in November and would result in an 8 percent increase to state tuition, and an average 7 percent increase imposed by UF, which brings the total increase to 15 percent. The switch was estimated at bringing in $4 million of extra recurring revenue annually for the University. UF is the only university in the state that has expressed a desire to pursue block tuition.
In an email to University of Florida staff dated June 8, 2012, Machen announced that he informed the UF Board of Trustees of his intention to step down as president of the University of Florida next year. Machen stated his commitment to continuing leadership during the transition to a new university president. However, on January 8, by the request of Florida Governor Rick Scott
Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019.
Scott ...
, Machen decided to stay on as president of the university.
He was succeeded by W. Kent Fuchs on January 1, 2015.
Salary
Machen received a base salary of $432,808 and $285,000 in annual performance bonuses,[Ileana Morales,]
Machen's salary hiked up
" ''Independent Florida Alligator'' (January 7, 2008). Retrieved March 31, 2010. with his total annual compensation equalling $751,000, the fourth largest salary in the country for a public university president in 2007. He has been criticized for reducing funding to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences by both faculty and other administrators. However, in December 2008, Machen announced that he would give his yearly bonus of $285,000 back to the University of Florida with the stipulation that the money had to be used to help fund the Florida Opportunity Scholars Program. When Machen was hired by the University of Florida in 2003, his contract stated he would be eligible, after five years, to receive either a one-year sabbatical (paid leave) or receive the $450,000 bonus in addition to his annual salary. In January 2009, Machen chose to take $400,000 in four annual installments, but after receiving the first $100,000 installment in 2009, it was realized that the four-year payment plan would require Machen to pay federal income taxes on all four installments at the time of the first installment payment. In March 2010, the Board of Trustees voted to pay the remaining three installments in a single lump sum so that Machen might avoid further negative tax consequences.[Minch Minchin,]
Board Vote Saves Machen Money
" ''Independent Florida Alligator'' (March 16, 2010). Retrieved March 31, 2010. With the addition of the $300,000 lump-sum payment to his base salary and annual performance bonus, Machen's total compensation was approximately $1,050,000 in 2010.[ Machen's contract ended in 2013.][
]
Controversy
Machen stirred a mild controversy by making a veiled innuendo regarding the University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
's academics as they relate to student-athletes and implying that Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
basketball star Greg Oden
Gregory Wayne Oden Jr. (born January 22, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. Oden, a 7'0" (2.13m) center (basketball), center, played college basketball at Ohio State University for 2006–07 Ohio State Buckeyes men's bask ...
's academic schedule is a joke.
''U.S. News'' rankings controversy
On June 17, 2009, it was reported that Bernie Machen had rated the University of Florida above schools such as Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
and the University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
on the annual ''U.S. News & World Report'' college rankings survey. Machen rated the University of Florida as "distinguished," while rating all other Florida state universities at least two tiers below the University of Florida. These actions were questioned by several Florida media outlets, including the ''St. Petersburg Times''.
Politics
Machen stands against the boycotting of Israeli universities. He condemned the proposed boycott in a letter that ran as a full-page advertisement in the August 8, 2007 edition of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. He helped write the letter in opposition to a recent vote by Britain's leading faculty union, which decided to debate the possibility of boycotting Israeli academic institutions. If passed by Britain's University and College Union, the boycott would cut off relations with Israeli schools to serve as a rebuke of Israel's Palestinian policies.
In January 2008, Machen publicly endorsed U.S. Senator John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
for President of the United States. However, Machen cautioned that it should not be interpreted as an endorsement from the entire UF community. Bernie Machen also described how he has been a long-time supporter of Senator McCain.
In August 2009, Machen publicly endorsed George LeMieux
George Stephen LeMieux ( ; born May 21, 1969) is an American former politician who was a United States Senator from Florida from 2009 to 2011. He is chairman of the Florida-based law firm of Gunster Yoakley & Stewart and was chief of staff to Go ...
to fill retiring U.S. Senator Mel Martinez
Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to:
Biology
* Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL)
* National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL
People
* Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...
's United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
seat. Machen cited LeMieux's strong support for higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...
and endorsed Governor Charlie Crist's selection to fill the open senate seat. He stipulated that he was not supporting LeMieux for political reasons.
Machen and his wife, Chris, left for a week–long trip to Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
on Thursday, November 13, 2008. The University of Florida's first couple was part of a delegation that included six U.S. university presidents. While in Iran, the presidents visited universities in Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
and elsewhere and met with their presidents and faculty. At Sharif University
Sharif University of Technology (SUT; fa, دانشگاه صنعتی شریف) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is widely considered as the nation's most prestigious and leading institution for science, technology, engineering, ...
, the presidents were part of a forum with Iranian students.
Machen and his wife Chris wrote a letter to the editor
A letter to the editor (LTE) is a Letter (message), letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through ...
published in the ''Gainesville Sun
''The Gainesville Sun'' () is a newspaper published daily in Gainesville, Florida, United States, covering the North-Central portion of the state. The paper is published by Lynni Henderson, the paper's Executive Editor is Douglas Ray and the ed ...
'' expressing their opposition to a city charter
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Traditionally the granting of a charter ...
amendment on the March 2009 Gainesville city election ballot that would prohibit transgender individuals from using gender specific public facilities for their chosen gender identity as opposed to their physical identity.
On September 22, 2010, Machen was one of six presidents of major American research universities who met with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in a roundtable meeting at the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
to discuss the use of funds appropriated by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
for scientific research. As of 2009, the University of Florida has received about $120 million in so-called "stimulus" funds from the act. Machen touted the six-year study by the University of Florida's Institute on Aging on whether a physical activity regimen can prevent or delay physical disability in the elderly. The study is being funded by approximately $29.5 million in stimulus funds. Machen said the money is worth spending, considering the potential impact the results can have on lowering health care costs. Machen was joined by the presidents of Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
, Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
, Washington State University
Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant unive ...
, the University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
and the University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
.
On November 29, 2010, Machen was named to an Economic Development
In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...
Transition Team of Governor-elect Rick Scott
Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019.
Scott ...
. Machen's expertise in higher education and its impact on the economy is what interested Scott.
In January 2012, Machen and Florida State University's Eric J. Barron met with the Florida House of Representatives Higher Education Committee in Tallahassee
Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...
to discuss improving higher education in the state of Florida. Machen suggested universities should charge higher tuition for science, technology, engineering and math degrees because of their high cost to schools and brought up students' failure to graduate in four years, in spite of the higher credit-hour requirements of some of these degrees as compared to other undergraduate fields of study. "I just can't get them to leave," he stated.
In April 2012, Machen expressed his disappointment, in an email to University of Florida students, faculty, and staff, regarding Florida Governor Rick Scott
Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019.
Scott ...
's decision to veto the Preeminence Bill. The bill would have allowed the University of Florida and Florida State University to increase tuition by more than the current cap of 15% per year. At that rate of increase tuition at these universities could be doubled in five years. Machen's statement explained, "This legislation presented the University of Florida with a pathway toward excellence and would have enabled the great State of Florida to have two world-class universities."
See also
* Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...
* History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida originated as several distinct institutions that were consolidated to create a single state-supported un ...
* List of Sigma Chi members
This is a list of notable alumni of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Many notable Sigma Chi Brothers are awarded the Significant Sig Award by headquarters, indicated by as superscriptS.
Athletics and sports entertainment
Baseball
Basketball
Foot ...
* List of University of Florida presidents
Seventeen men have served as the president of the University of Florida since the modern university was created from the consolidation of four predecessor institutions by the Florida state legislature in 1905.
The University of Florida is a pub ...
* List of University of Iowa people
This list of University of Iowa alumni includes notable current and former students of the University of Iowa.
Academia
* Michael J. Budds, Musicologist and professor at the University of Missouri School of Music, inducted into the Missour ...
* List of University of Utah presidents
* List of Vanderbilt University people
This is a list of notable current and former faculty members, alumni (graduating and non-graduating) of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Unless otherwise noted, attendees listed graduated with a bachelor's degree. Names with an aste ...
References
Bibliography
* University of Florida, Office of the President
J. Bernard Machen
Retrieved January 9, 2010.
* Pleasants, Julian M., ''Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida'', University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (2006). .
External links
University of Florida
– Official website of the University of Florida.
University of Utah
– Official website of the University of Utah.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Machen, Bernie
1944 births
American dentistry academics
American dentists
Living people
People from Greenwood, Mississippi
People from St. Louis
Presidents of the University of Florida
Presidents of the University of Utah
Saint Louis University alumni
University of Iowa alumni
University of Michigan faculty
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty
Vanderbilt University alumni