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 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'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 History of the University of Florida List of Sigma Chi members List of University of Florida presidents List of University of Iowa people List of University of Utah presidents List of Vanderbilt University people 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. 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