Mitch Daniels is returning to lead Purdue University, this time on a temporary basis. The Purdue Board of Trustees voted Monday in a public session to appoint the former president as interim president, effective July 1.
Daniels, who currently serves as president emeritus and chairs the Purdue Research Foundation board, previously ran the university for a decade from 2013 to 2022. He takes over from Mung Chiang, who departs July 1 to become president of Northwestern University.
Board Chair Gary Lehman praised the move, saying the trustees 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.” Lehman added that the board looks forward to working with Daniels 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.”
Daniels framed his return as a matter of duty. “President Chiang has led Purdue forward in a host of important ways, and it’s essential that the momentum he has generated be maintained,” he 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.”
Daniels will hold the post until a permanent successor is named, Lehman said. A national search is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
