WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — One week after President Mung Chiang announced his imminent departure from Purdue University, its board of trustees approved former President Mitch Daniels to return as interim president.
Daniels previously served 10 years as president of Purdue and, beginning July 1, will step back into the role temporarily while the university searches for a permanent replacement. Daniels will remain as the unpaid chair of the Purdue Research Foundation’s Board of Directors, which is not unusual, according to a Purdue spokesman.
The board of trustees confirmed the appointment Monday morning during a special session created solely for this purpose.
Chiang confidently passed the torch back to Daniels in a statement provided by Purdue spokesperson Trevor Peters.
“I am absolutely pleased that today Purdue’s Board of Trustees voted and that President Emeritus Daniels agreed to serve as the interim president,” the statement read. “Mitch’s understanding of this university’s vision and his leadership capability to sustain and accelerate our momentum are singular. 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. Boiler Up to this outstanding news!”
Trustee Vice Chair Michael Klipsch echoed Chiang’s optimism.
“There’s no one else that could step in and be ready to go on Day One,” he said. “I’m thankful that he’s willing to do this and it’s the perfect choice we can make.”
The other trustees agreed, thanking Daniels for his dedication to the university.
“President Chiang has led Purdue forward in a host of important ways, and it’s essential that the momentum he has generated be maintained,” Daniels said in a statement. “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.”
“He certainly earned his retirement and I’m thankful for him for coming off the bench to do this,” trustee David Ricks said.
Gary Lehman, board chairman, agreed with his trustees but commented on a dispute over the interim president’s wage. Officials did not reveal what his interim salary will be.
“(Daniels) would only want to work pro bono, no charge,” Lehman said. “We did not think that was acceptable. We split the difference (and ended) well below market.”
Despite Daniels’ comfortability with the role, trustees confirmed they will work swiftly to find his replacement.
“One of (Daniels’) conditions is that we do act expeditiously,” Lehman said. “He doesn’t want this job to go as long as he’s done it in the past.”
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Mitch Daniels to return as interim president of Purdue as Chiang departs
Reporting by Quint Holguin, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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