February 22, 2019

Purdue EVP for research, partnerships named president at University of Vermont

Suresh Garimella Suresh Garimella
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Board of Trustees at the University of Vermont on Friday  (Feb. 22) named Purdue University’s Suresh Garimella as its next president, effective July 1.

Garimella, Purdue’s executive vice president for research and partnerships, will remain at Purdue through the spring semester. Located in Burlington, the University of Vermont was founded in 1791, is a public Ivy and a top 100 research university serving more than 10,000 undergraduates in addition to graduate and medical students.

President Mitch Daniels shared the news of Garimella’s departure in an email to the campus community earlier Friday.

“I have known for some time that our friend Suresh was a candidate for this position, and I was afraid that UVM would make this very wise decision,” Daniels said. “We are extremely proud that Purdue produces the type of leaders that are recruited and wanted at other highly regarded institutions, but, as is always the case, these leaders are difficult to replace and I am not exaggerating to say that Suresh will be among the most difficult to replace.”

Garimella came to Purdue in 1999 as associate professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering. He was promoted to full professor in 2002, the Goodson Chair professorship in 2006, distinguished professor in 2009, and was named executive vice president for research and partnerships in 2014. Under his leadership, the university has experienced consecutive record years in research funding and established significant new partnerships around the world. Garimella conceived and implemented an ambitious Life Sciences Initiative, establishing two new institutes that bring together faculty from dozens of disciplines to study integrative neuroscience and inflammation, immunology and infectious disease, to complement signature efforts in the plant sciences and drug discovery. In addition, he and Purdue's provost partnered to initiate the Integrative Data Science Initiative, which is focused on applying data science research to pressing fundamental and socially relevant issues while establishing an educational ecosystem of data fluency to prepare students for the rapidly expanding future of a data-driven, knowledge economy. 

“My time at Purdue has been nothing short of remarkable, due entirely to my inspiring faculty and staff colleagues and the students we are fortunate to work with each and every day,” Garimella said. “It is with sadness that I leave Purdue, but excitement that I have the opportunity to take on this new role at an outstanding land-grant institution with a storied history in liberal arts and sciences, and values that mirror my own.”

Information will be forthcoming regarding a search for Garimella’s successor. 

Media Contact: Tim Doty, 765-494-2080, doty2@purdue.edu 

University of Vermont release: Suresh Garimella to become next University of Vermont President

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