Mitch Daniels to serve as Purdue interim president

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue Board of Trustees at a public session on Monday (May 25) voted to approve the appointment of Mitch Daniels to serve as interim president of Purdue University, effective July 1.

Daniels, Purdue president emeritus and chair of the board of the Purdue Research Foundation, served for 10 years as Purdue’s president (2013-2022). He succeeds Mung Chiang, who will become president of Northwestern University on July 1.

“We are extremely grateful to President Emeritus Daniels for his willingness to continue his long and successful service to Purdue University in a role with which he is very familiar,” trustees Chair Gary Lehman said. “We look forward to working with Mitch and the executive team in leading Purdue to even greater heights as it continues to impact lives through its land-grant mission and the persistent pursuit of excellence in higher education.”

“President Chiang has led Purdue forward in a host of important ways, and it’s essential that the momentum he has generated be maintained,” Daniels said. “If the board believes that recalling me to active duty temporarily can help in this respect, no one as devoted to this institution as I am could say anything but yes.”

Lehman said Daniels has agreed to serve as interim until the next president is identified and takes office. A national search will be launched in the coming weeks.