07-07-2026
Mitch Daniels returned to the Purdue University president’s office July 1, serving as interim following Mung Chiang’s appointment as president of Northwestern University. In his return message, Daniels said, “At a time when much of our sector is struggling mightily, Purdue is at the other end of that spectrum. And my assignment is... to maintain forward progress, do even better or faster those things which we believe are most essential to Purdue's future.”
Today we look to the recent past for Daniels’ perspective on the future of higher education. At last year’s Cornerstone for Business Conference, he offered a candid, forward-looking critique of higher education’s value proposition and the reforms needed to meet today’s challenges.
In a conversation with conference organizers Kelly Blanchard and Melinda Zook, Daniels drew on his decade of leadership at Purdue and his broader experience in business and public service to frame the stakes for students, universities and society at a moment when institutional direction and public trust are once again in focus.
Daniels is set to participate in the next Cornerstone for Business Conference; Spirit of 1776: Advancing Opportunity, Innovation, and Free Markets is September 29-30, 2026, on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus. His new book, Impatience is a Virtue, is available now from Simon and Schuster.
