Welcome to 2026 at Purdue

January 9, 2026

Dear Boilermakers,

As we launch another momentous academic semester, I am excited to welcome you back to a Purdue community with a stable environment and growing opportunities for the scholarly pursuit by each individual student and colleague.

Our university’s fiscal foundation remains sturdy, significant investments in physical facilities are proceeding as planned, student and faculty excellence continues to rise, and each of the four strategic initiatives (One Health, Purdue Computes, Indianapolis and Daniels School of Business) keeps breaking new ground.

This past calendar year was record-breaking for Purdue, marked by your achievements and strategic momentum. Not only did graduation rates hit a record and overall research expenditures exceed $1 billion for the first time in our university’s history, but Purdue also made history among all U.S. universities: the largest university-industry research partnership, the largest number of philanthropic gifts in a single day, the first university with an AI competency graduation requirement and the first university scheduled to operate in space.

Thank you for what you do each day with dedication and perseverance. In 2026, we will continue to listen to your ideas, support your aspirations and work together, with excellence at scale, across the broad range of activities at our university.

Boiler Up and Happy New Year!

Mung Chiang
President, Purdue University