Florida Poly's President Stephenson earns third Florida 500 recognition

LAKELAND, Fla., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Devin Stephenson, president of Florida Polytechnic University, has been named to Florida Trend magazine's prestigious Florida 500 list for the third straight year, recognizing his leadership and growing influence in advancing STEM education and economic development.

The annual recognition honors Florida's 500 most influential business leaders whose vision, accomplishments and contributions are helping drive the state's economic success.

Since becoming Florida Poly's president in 2024, Stephenson has led a period of accelerated growth, expanding the University's academic offerings, strengthening industry partnerships and elevating its national reputation as a premier STEM university.

Under his leadership, Florida Poly welcomed a record of more than 2,300 students this fall, a 35% increase over the past two years. The milestone represents significant progress toward the University's strategic goal of reaching 3,000 students by 2030.

"To be recognized alongside so many accomplished leaders across Florida for a third consecutive year is a tremendous honor," Stephenson said. "This recognition reflects the extraordinary momentum we're building at Florida Poly and the dedication of our entire University community."

"We're accomplishing things that once seemed beyond our reach, and I'm incredibly proud of the work we're doing to create more opportunities for our students and contribute to Florida's future," he added.

Florida Poly's continued rise is earning significant national recognition. In the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings, the University retained its position as the No. 1 public college in the South for the sixth consecutive year and earned the No. 1 spot among best value public schools in the region. Its engineering programs also climbed 13 positions to No. 16 nationally among public institutions without a Ph.D.

Most recently, Florida Poly ranked No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 among public universities for career outcomes in WalletHub's 2027 College & University Rankings, surpassing some of the nation's most prestigious institutions, such as MIT and Stanford.

The University's campus expansion reflects its continued growth, with the recent opening of its new University Safety and Operations Center and progress on the highly anticipated $87 million, 138,400-square-foot Student Achievement Center, designed to enhance student life, academic support and career development.

Florida Poly is broadening its academic offerings as well with new degrees in aerospace engineering and biomedical sciences. The latter includes an accelerated pathway to earn a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree through a partnership with Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (OCOM).

"Our responsibility goes far beyond preparing students to earn a degree. We're developing the talent, expertise and partnerships that Florida needs to remain competitive in a rapidly changing world," Stephenson said. "As we continue to grow, we're opening new doors for our students to succeed while expanding the University's contributions to the industries and communities that depend on highly skilled STEM professionals."

The Florida 500, published annually by Florida Trend, recognizes influential executives and leaders across the state's major economic sectors, including education, technology, finance and business. Honorees are selected through extensive research and consideration of their leadership, accomplishments and contributions to Florida's economy and quality of life.

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SOURCE Florida Polytechnic University