Klingerman named chief of staff to the president  

Purdue has appointed Trent Klingerman as chief of staff to the president, effective Monday (Jan. 5), marking his return to the university.

Klingerman previously served Purdue as outside counsel, in leadership roles including vice president for human resources and as the university’s first in-house deputy general counsel from 2016 to 2022.

Klingerman returns to Purdue from Stuart and Branigin, where he has been a partner since 2024 in the firm’s education, employer services and litigation groups. Klingerman also has served as vice president for legal affairs and general counsel at the University of Vermont, providing expertise and guidance to the president, executive team and trustees. At both Purdue and the University of Vermont, he has taught undergraduate courses in communication law and labor and employment law.

Klingerman earned his undergraduate degree from Purdue in 1994 and his law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2001.