Bernie Machen
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Dr. James Bernard "Bernie" Machen (born 26 March 1944) is an American professor and academic administrator. As of 2006, he is the president of the University of Florida. Before starting at Florida in 2004, he was president of the University of Utah.
Machen was born in Greenwood, Mississippi and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate studies, Saint Louis University for his DDS, and the University of Iowa for his master of science in pediatric dentistry and Ph.D. in educational psychology.
Before Utah and Florida, Machen was employed in various capacities as professor or administrator by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan. Additionally, he served in various ways with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Association of Dental Schools. While at Utah, he served on the board of trustees of the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
After Florida's 2004 hiring of head football coach Urban Meyer, it was speculated that Machen's relationship with Meyer may have played a role in the hiring. Machen was the president of Utah when Meyer was hired as head coach there. [1]
Machen is also noteworthy for taking the lead on offering fully-subsidized health insurance for graduate students who work for the university as teaching or research assistants. The new program, GatorGradCare, was announced on June 17, 2006, and is scheduled to begin in January, 2007.
Machen and his wife, Chris, have three children and three grandchildren. Lee, born in 1972, is married to Julie and lives in Portland, Oregon, with son Noah born in 2003 and daughter Neve born in 2005. Michael, born in 1975, is married to Monika and lives in Chicago, Illinois, with daughter Maya born in 2005. Daughter Maggie, born in 1980, lives in Gainesville, Florida.
[edit] References
- ^ Dan Wetzel (2006-12-05). A true champion. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2006-12-05.
- English, Antonya. "Florida president will be heard." St. Petersburg Times. October 29, 2004. Accessed May 3, 2005.
- "J. Bernard Machen." University of Florida Office of the President. August 2, 2004. Accessed May 3, 2005.
- Pillat, Nicholas. "No coincidences in Machen hiring his former head coach." The Independent Florida Alligator. December 6, 2004. Accessed May 3, 2005.
