{"id":22503,"date":"2026-07-22T08:17:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T12:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/?p=22503"},"modified":"2026-07-22T08:26:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T12:26:40","slug":"boilermakers-moving-indiana-forward-purdue-leaders-trustees-alumni-named-to-ibj-medias-indiana-250","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/Q3\/boilermakers-moving-indiana-forward-purdue-leaders-trustees-alumni-named-to-ibj-medias-indiana-250","title":{"rendered":"Boilermakers moving Indiana forward: Purdue leaders, trustees, alumni named to IBJ Media\u2019s Indiana 250"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. \u2014 Purdue University is once again well represented in IBJ Media\u2019s annual Indiana 250<\/a>, which honors the state\u2019s most impactful and influential leaders across sectors such as business, government and philanthropy. The Boilermakers recognized have made significant impacts in the fields of civic leadership, higher education, life sciences, agriculture and more across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purdue\u2019s 2026 honorees include interim President Mitch Daniels; Dan DeLaurentis, executive vice president for research; Matt Painter, head coach of the Purdue men\u2019s basketball team; David Umulis, senior vice provost for Indianapolis; three members of the Purdue University Board of Trustees \u2014 Sonny Beck, JoAnn Brouillette and David Ricks \u2014 and 23 alumni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 Indiana 250 list primarily includes business leaders and executives at the helm of the state\u2019s largest and most significant public and private companies and institutions. Purdue, Indiana\u2019s only land-grant institution, is represented in all 10 list categories, and Boilermakers who are recognized promote international research, education and outreach in all corners of the state and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniels<\/a> was named to the annual IBJ list for the fifth time, recognized in the Civic Leadership<\/a> category. He was appointed as Purdue\u2019s interim president July 1 and served two terms as Indiana\u2019s governor from 2005-13. He also previously served as Purdue\u2019s 12th president from 2013-22, during which time he led the university to become the nation\u2019s most recognized public university, ended 36 consecutive years of tuition increases and made student affordability a central priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeLaurentis<\/a> enters the IBJ list for the first time in the Nonprofit & Education<\/a> category. He is a longtime Purdue administrator, scholar and award-winning educator. As executive vice president for research, he steers the university\u2019s robust, record-setting research enterprise. Under his leadership as the previous vice president for Institutes and Centers at Discovery Park District at Purdue, its 15 centers and institutes in 2024 were involved in more than $205 million of Purdue\u2019s $647 million in total research awards from federal and industry sources, both of which were university records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Painter<\/a> landed a first-time spot on the list in the Hospitality, Arts & Entertainment<\/a> category. He is a five-time Big Ten Coach of the Year recipient and is the university\u2019s second-winningest head coach in program history with more than 500 wins. Since 2005 Purdue has won five Big Ten Conference regular-season championships and three Big Ten Tournament titles under Painter\u2019s leadership. His teams have been a fixture in the NCAA Tournament, including Final Four and national championship game appearances in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Umulis<\/a> also joined DeLaurentis on the list for the first time in the Nonprofit & Education<\/a> category. He has been with Purdue as an impactful research leader, mentor and administrator since 2008, spending the last several years spearheading the launch of Purdue\u2019s expansion in Indianapolis \u2014 an ambitious initiative to further enhance Purdue\u2019s presence in, and connection to, the capital city. The university has cultivated relationships with many companies to support their workforce and research development needs and provide Purdue students with internship, co-op, research and hands-on experiential opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ricks<\/a>, a Purdue board member and Eli Lilly and Company chair and CEO, has again been named to the Life Sciences & Health Care<\/a> category. Fellow board members Beck<\/a> and Brouillette<\/a> made the Energy & Agriculture<\/a> category. Beck has been on the list five times, and Brouillette has been recognized four times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prominent Purdue alumni also on the 2026 Indiana 250 honorees list are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n