Michael B. Cline
P.E., PTOE

Michael B. Cline, a professional engineer with decades of leadership and engineering experience in both the public and private sectors, is the Senior Vice President for Purdue University Administrative Operations and soon to be Purdue University in Indianapolis’ Chief Operating Officer. By prioritizing customer care, innovation, and management accountability, Cline ensures high-quality services at the lowest possible cost.  

Mr. Cline, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, returned to work for the university in July 2013. As the senior Vice President for Administrative Operations, Cline manages over 1,300 employees, a $300M capital program, and a $200M annual operating budget. Responsibilities include capital project delivery, real estate, campus master planning, public safety, environmental health and safety, parking & transportation, airport operations, the Purdue Memorial Union, and the operation and maintenance of existing buildings-including the Wade Utility Plant.  Current major capital projects underway in West Lafayette include the $149M South Hall, the $160M Nursing and Pharmacy Education Building, and the $168M Daniels School of Business building.   

Cline, a 35-year resident of Indianapolis, was named Chief Operating Officer for Purdue in Indianapolis in June 2025.  Mike and his AO team will expand their services to the Indianapolis campus and concurrently engage daily with industry, government, civic, and neighborhood partners to grow Purdue’s presence in central Indiana.  Construction is underway in Indianapolis on the new $187M Academic Success Building, which will provide new classrooms, teaching laboratories, a dining hall, and 530 residence hall beds.  Earlier this year, a 50-year comprehensive campus master plan for Indianapolis was rolled out, and envisions 16 new buildings on 28 acres with 4.5 million gross square feet to support enrollment of 15,000 students. 

Since 2022, Cline has been an integral part of Purdue’s team working with Duke Energy to explore the feasibility of using Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a potential solution for the university’s long-term energy needs.  In 2024, Cline’s organization partnered with Purdue researchers to conduct an Indiana Office of Energy Development study on small modular reactor technology and its potential role across Indiana. 

Cline played a pivotal leadership role in delivering the $120M State Street Redevelopment Project between 2015-2018, an unprecedented ‘town-gown’ P3 project with the City of West Lafayette and the Purdue Research Foundation. This transformational project has sparked over $2B in private investment adjacent to Purdue’s West Lafayette campus.  

Prior to joining the University, Mike served as the Commissioner for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) from 2010-2013, where he was entrusted with overseeing all aspects of one of the state’s largest agencies. He successfully led INDOT’s delivery of Governor Mitch Daniels’ $10B Major Moves infrastructure investment program, while reducing annual operating spending by $70M. Noteworthy projects completed under Cline’s leadership include the $700M I-69 project (sections 1-3) and the successful procurement of the Ohio River Bridges project, a unique $2.4B P3 with the Commonwealth of Kentucky.