Mung Chiang named Northwestern’s 18th president

Purdue president mung chiang was named Northwestern’s 18th president on Monday, and he will begin on July 1. Northwestern’s Board of Trustees said he will succeed Michael Schill, who resigned in September 2025, while interim president Henry Bienen stays on until the end of June.

Northwestern Board of Trustees

Chiang has led Purdue since January 2023 and said Northwestern’s interdisciplinary scholarship, artistic creation, impactful research, healthcare system and school spirit drew him to the university. In the news release, he said, "I have long admired Northwestern for its dedication to interdisciplinary scholarship, artistic creation and impactful research, its tremendous healthcare system, and its palpable school spirit,"

Board of Trustees Chair Peter Barris said, "Mung has his sights set on advancing and enhancing Northwestern among the world’s great research institutions.” Barris added that Chiang had shown “his ability to harness opportunity and momentum while embracing the breadth and depth of a university."

Chiang’s Purdue and Princeton record

Before Purdue, Chiang spent 14 years at Princeton University. He became one of Princeton’s youngest chair professors, chaired the Princeton Entrepreneurship Council and served as director of the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. He graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and mathematics and later earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in electrical engineering.

At Purdue, Chiang served as dean of the College of Engineering from 2017 to 2023 and as executive vice president for strategic initiatives from 2021 to 2023. His work there included helping secure $3.9 billion in investments for an artificial intelligence memory chip packaging facility, helping design and implement the 2022 federal CHIPS and Science Act, and becoming the first engineer to serve as science and technology adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State in 2020.

Northwestern search and funding

Northwestern launched its search for its 18th president in December, with Board of Trustees Vice Chair Steve Cahillane chairing the Presidential Search Committee. Chiang is set to be Northwestern’s first Asian American president and is a first-generation immigrant.

The appointment comes after a year of federal scrutiny tied to research funding. Northwestern reached a deal with the Trump administration in November 2025 to restore research funding after the government froze $790 million in April 2025.

For Northwestern, the immediate change is a new president-elect with a July 1 start date and a leadership transition that keeps Bienen in place through June. Chiang said his first priority will be engaging with stakeholders in the community, from students to trustees.