Purdue brings Mitch Daniels off the bench as interim president
Daniels, Purdue president for a decade, selected to fill in, ‘ready to go from Day One,’ as national search begins for replacement for Mung Chiang, who is leaving for Northwestern.
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PURDUE BRINGS MITCH DANIELS OFF THE BENCH AS INTERIM PRESIDENT
Mitch Daniels, who spent a decade leading Purdue, will return July 1 as interim president, as university trustees said they were looking for someone who understood the job and could lead right out of the gate as they looked for a permanent replacement for President Mung Chiang, who is leaving for a similar role at Northwestern University.
Trustees announced and voted on bringing Daniels back during a special meeting Monday morning, promising that a national search would start soon.
“Told the Daniels girls to always keep a spare tire in the trunk,” Daniels said Monday, after the trustees vote. “Seems the trustees got the same lesson. Will try to keep Purdue on its current roll. Thanks to the board for the opportunity.”
Chiang, who replaced Daniels in January 2023, announced a week ago that he would leave Purdue. Chiang often had been mentioned when top spots at other universities came up, something Purdue trustees acknowledged when they extended his contract in fall 2025. But his pending departure had the university scrambling and fairly tight lipped about what was next.
Bringing Daniels, president emeritus and still chair of Purdue Research Foundation’s board, off the bench was framed not just as stability and familiarity but a chance to keep moving on projects started during Chiang’s three years in Hovde Hall. Gary Lehman, Purdue trustees chairman, even dispensed with reading Daniels’ bio during the 15-minute meeting.
“I think we know enough about Mitch that we can pass on that,” Lehman said.
“It is interim, which is important,” Mike Klipsch, a Purdue trustee, said. “But Mitch is a great choice. He did a great job over his 10 years. There’s no one else that I think could step in and be ready to go Day One as much as he is, because of his experience. And so I’m thankful that he’s willing to do it. I think it’s the perfect choice. … It allows us to get very focused on the bigger job of finding a permanent president.”
Chiang will be at Purdue through June 30, university officials confirmed Monday. Chiang called the Daniels appointment “outstanding news.”
“Mitch’s understanding of this university’s vision and his leadership capability to sustain and accelerate our momentum are singular,” Chiang said. “He is exactly the right choice to lead Purdue during this transition. I will work closely with him, the board, the leadership team and the campus next month to ensure that the university doesn’t skip a beat.”
Purdue has had six interim presidents in its 157-year history.
