Purdue trustees select retired Air Force officer as 14th university president

The Purdue University board of trustees unanimously elected retired Lieutenant General Jay B. Silveria to serve as the institution's 14th president.

Silveria will assume the role on February 1, 2027, succeeding interim President Mitch Daniels. The university has set his base salary at $1 million.

Before joining the Purdue search, Silveria served as president of the University of Arkansas System, a position he held beginning in January 2025. Prior to that assignment, he worked as associate vice president and executive director at Texas A&M University.

The selection follows the abrupt departure of President Mung Chiang in May. Chiang announced his resignation to lead Northwestern University after serving in the role since January 2023. He had originally joined Purdue in 2017, where he served as dean of the College of Engineering and executive vice president for strategic initiatives under Daniels.

Daniels stepped into the presidency on an interim basis after Chiang's exit. He previously led Purdue for a decade and served two terms as Indiana governor. He currently chairs the board of the Purdue Research Foundation.

Silveria spent 35 years in the United States Air Force. He most recently served as superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy from 2017 to 2020. The university's 10-member board of trustees is responsible for electing its leaders.