Purdue Leadership: Air Force Veteran Elected President

Retired Lt. Gen. Jay B. Silveria was unanimously elected as the 14th president of Purdue University by its board of trustees. The vote marks the end of a search for a new leader following the abrupt departure of the previous president.

Silveria brings a 35-year history in the U.S. Air Force to the role. He previously served as the superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy from 2017 to 2020. Since January 2025, he has led the University of Arkansas System. Before that, he held a senior leadership position at Texas A&M University.

The current interim president, Mitch Daniels, will hand over the reins on Feb. 1, 2027. Silveria’s base salary for the position is set at $1 million. Daniels is stepping back from daily operations but remains on the board as the chair of the Purdue Research Foundation.

The university has been without a permanent chief executive since May of this year. Mung Chiang left the role abruptly to accept a presidency at Northwestern University. Chiang had served at Purdue since 2017, holding various senior titles before becoming president in January 2023.

Daniels, who previously served as Indiana governor for two terms and as Purdue president for a decade, stepped in as interim leader to manage the transition. The 10-member board of trustees is responsible for selecting the next head of the university.

The search concluded with the unanimous vote for Silveria, who has extensive experience in higher education administration and military leadership.