WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University's Board of Trustees unanimously elected University of Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria as the university's 14th president Thursday. Silveria will succeed Mitch Daniels on Feb. 1, 2027. Daniels has served as interim president since July.
Silveria, a retired Air Force lieutenant general, has led the University of Arkansas System since January 2025. He previously served as associate vice president and executive director of Texas A&M University and the Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington from 2020 to 2024. He was superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy from 2017 to 2020.
"I am honored to become the next president of Purdue University, one of the top public research universities in the country," Silveria said. "While I am familiar with Purdue's worldwide reputation for affordability and accessibility, ingenuity and integrity, I look forward to meeting the people who make this place so special and to listen and learn about its culture.
"As Indiana's land-grant research university, Purdue has a responsibility to pursue academic excellence while using its knowledge, research and graduates to advance the state and serve society. I look forward to meeting that responsibility by supporting outstanding faculty, staff and researchers; helping students succeed; mobilizing resources; building partnerships; and connecting institutional goals and outcomes to public value.
"I am excited for the opportunity to meet and work alongside faculty, students, staff, alumni, industry collaborators and the people of Indiana."
Purdue Board of Trustees Chair Gary Lehman said Silveria's career shows a commitment to preparing people and organizations for consequential work.
"Jay's career reflects a consistent commitment to preparing people and organizations to accomplish consequential missions. His strength is in the combination of his experiences, rather than any single position. This combination brings us a leader who has operated in environments that require disciplined execution, developed future leaders, built an educational enterprise in an urban setting and taken responsibility for a broad public higher-education mission. The board is excited to welcome Jay as Purdue's next president, and we look forward to working with him to advance our mission," Lehman said.
The University of Arkansas System enrolls more than 80,000 students and employs more than 30,000 people. It includes a flagship land-grant research university, a medical sciences campus, regional universities, community colleges, a law school, and agricultural and other public-service divisions. Silveria's work required him to understand the institutions' different missions while advancing shared goals. The system's strategic priorities include access, student success, innovation and discovery, responsible stewardship, statewide responsiveness and collaboration.
"The University of Arkansas System's mission explicitly connects education, scholarship and service with the economic, health and cultural advancement of Arkansas. Its agricultural and extension work reaches communities across the state," Silveria said. "Purdue's land-grant mission similarly connects education and research with public engagement and the needs of Indiana. The common principle is that a public university's value is measured not only by its academic reputation but also by what its knowledge and graduates contribute to society."
At Texas A&M, Silveria was tasked with launching a graduate-school enterprise in Washington. The work required coordination among academic leaders, faculty, administrators, students and outside partners. The Bush School connects students with institutions, practitioners and policy debates relevant to their studies, the university said.
As superintendent of the Air Force Academy, Silveria led an institution whose mission includes academics, military preparation, athletics and character development. Purdue said that experience gave him a foundation for understanding how universities can align their culture, resources and programs around student development and prepare graduates to contribute to society.
During his military career, Silveria served as deputy commander of the Combined Air Force Component at U.S. Central Command in Southwest Asia. He oversaw command and control of air operations across a 20-nation area. Operations Resolute Support in Afghanistan and Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria took place under his command.
He also commanded the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and served as vice commander of the 14th Air Force at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. He was director of security assistance at the Office of Security Cooperation in Baghdad, Iraq. Silveria also commanded a fighter wing, an air operations center and a fighter squadron. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, a Bronze Star and multiple Air Medals.
Silveria grew up in an Air Force family and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1985. He completed undergraduate pilot training in 1986. He is a command pilot with more than 3,900 hours flying T-37, T-38, F-15C/E, HH-60 and F-35A aircraft. He has flown combat missions over the Balkans and Iraq.
He earned a master's degree in social science from Syracuse University and master's degrees from Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama and the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington.
Purdue is a research university ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities, according to the university. More than 111,000 students attend Purdue across its campuses, including more than 57,000 at its main campuses in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Purdue said its main campus has frozen tuition for 14 consecutive years, supporting its commitment to affordability and accessibility and allowing more students to graduate debt-free.
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