Now it's official: Richard McCullough inaugurated as Florida State's next president

Flowers flooded the front of the stage in the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at Florida State University on Friday.

They were accompanied by the FSU torches, a bell and seats waiting to be filled for the inauguration of FSU’s 16th President, Richard McCullough, to begin.

The FSU Wind Ensemble played in the orchestra pit while university officials, faculty and staff, along with current and former university presidents walked in to take their seats on the stage.

Former presidents John Thrasher and Dale Lick were there, as well as Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson and Tallahassee Community College President Jim Murdaugh.

Other news from Florida State University:

• Florida State will probe every building for mold, radon, but some faculty not satisfied

• Doak deal crosses goal line after bitter 9-month battle over Blueprint tax funding for FSU stadium

• Five Florida State football questions entering the Seminoles' spring camp

Chairman Peter Collins congratulated McCullough on behalf of the FSU Board of Trustees.

“As you and Jai (Vartikar, his wife,) have now experienced first hand Florida State University as a family, a very large and very proud family, on behalf of our alumni and Board of Trustees, it is my honor to adopt you as a Seminole,” Collins said.

Soon, the three FSU torches were lit by students of the university. Student-athlete Beata Olsson lit the Vires torch, undergraduate student Abril Hunter lit the Artes torch, and graduate student Max D’Ou Rodriguez lit the Mores torch.

While the flames of the torch swayed on the stage, the investiture continued with special presentations to honor McCullough. Kyle Doney from the Seminole Tribe of Florida presented a handmade patchwork jacket to McCullough.

And the President’s Medallion was bestowed on McCullough by Thrasher, making McCullough the seventh president to wear the medallion as a symbol of the officer at formal academic functions.

As he fought back tears, McCullough began his inaugural address by expressing his appreciation for his wife, his family, university officials and everyone else. The accomplishments and success of the university were highlighted during McCullough’s address, and he also touched on his goals for FSU.

“We have audacious goals,” McCullough said. “We’ll expand our life sciences and medical research through our creation of FSU health; we will build capacity for excellence with our new transformational student union building, our new interdisciplinary research program, our new medical research building and our new business school building."

McCullough continued to list out the university’s goals of expanding research funding, driving innovation to promote the creation of new startups and jobs for Florida, creating a center for Indigenous funding and expanding fundraising efforts to move toward a new capital campaign.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that President Richard McCullough referred to an ethical research center. He actually referred to the medical research center.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Richard McCullough formally takes over as FSU president