University of Florida leader, innovator Winfred "Win" Phillips dies at 83
Winfred Phillips, a prominent leader and former employee of the University of Florida, died Saturday from cardiac arrest, according to university news release. He was 83.
Phillips, fondly known as “Win” Phillips by those at UF, served the university community for more than 35 years. He was known campus-wide for his knowledge of the university, versatility and thoughtful advice, a news release said.
“Win had a saying that he shared with many people over the years when they sought out his counsel for big decisions: As long as you always do what’s best for the university, you can’t go wrong,” said Mori Hosseini, UF board of trustees chair, in a news release. “That was Win — he was selfless, always willing to step in and fill whatever role he was needed in, and always willing to do what was best for the university. He was pivotal in making UF the great institution it is today.”
Phillips was known for his ability to take control and push forward whatever he was overseeing while simultaneously focusing on the betterment of UF and its rise as a top public university, a news release said.
“Win Phillips’ passion for UF was obvious, and he was known for his deep grasp of many dimensions of this incredibly complex institution — from academic excellence to research to tech commercialization to student life,” said UF President Ben Sasse in a news release. “He spent his career helping to make UF a leading university. Gator Nation is grateful for his service."
Phillips wrote multiple opinion pieces on topics regarding the University of Florida, education and innovation as specials to The Sun between the early 2000s and 2010s.
Phillips writes to The Sun in 2009: Win Phillips: Not all gloom and doom at UF
2010 submission: Win Phillips: Why Gainesville is the Innovation City
His time at UF
Phillips came to UF as dean of engineering in 1988. During his time at the university, Phillips had several different titles including senior vice president and chief operating officer, among others. He served UF for many years before recently retiring in June 2023.
Phillips was hired by then-UF President Marshall Criser and came to UF from Purdue University where he was head of the School of Mechanical Engineering.
For 11 years, Phillips was dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, formerly known as the College of Engineering, until 2015. During his time there, a news release said, he grew and diversified the college as well as increased its national stature.
Phillips left the College of Engineering in 1999 to become vice president for research and dean of The Graduate School – a formal name for UF’s graduate school. He maintained both the vice president and dean roles until 2004, when then-new UF president Bernie Machen asked Phillips to focus exclusively on research.
2004: Phillips to lead UF in Scripps affiliation
A news release said Machen, who was president from 2004 to 2014, said his goal at the start of this tenure was to increase UF’s research productivity.
Phillips gave advice for the best first step: build major, new research facilities. That advice, Machen said in a news release, led to the construction of three new facilities including the opening of the Cancer and Genetics Research Complex in 2006.
From 2011 to 2014, Phillips served as senior vice president and chief operating officer for UF. He then became senior advisor to the president in 2014 and executive chief of staff in 2015. Phillips maintained his position as executive chief of staff for nearly 10 years, up until his retirement last year.
UF community reminisces
Kent Fuchs, UF president emeritus, said in a news release that he relied on Phillips’ extensive experience and wisdom during his tenure from 2015 to 2023. Fuchs appreciated Phillips’ tendency to see issues and events through the perspective of the faculty as well as his reasoned and objective approach.
“Even though he had strong opinions, you never felt like he was biased, apart from wanting what was best for the institution and the faculty,” said Fuchs in a news release. “He wasn’t prejudiced about any issue.”
In his honor, UF created the Win Phillips Town Gown Relations Award in 2022, which celebrates connections between UF and the greater Gainesville community and is announced every year at a board of trustees meeting.
Phillips’ wife, Elizabeth “Betty” Phillips, died at age 72 in 2017. Betty was a psychology professor at UF and served as UF provost from 1996 to 1999.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Winfred Phillips former University of Florida professor dies at 83
