Purdue provost to step down in December • Northwest Indiana Business Magazine
Jay Akridge

Purdue provost to step down in December

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Purdue University Provost Jay Akridge is leaving his post at the end of December. An internal search for his replacement already has begun.

Akridge has been Purdue's provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity since July 2017. After taking a sabbatical, he will return as a professor of agricultural economics.

“I have been humbled daily by the passion and commitment our faculty, staff and students bring to all they do,” Akridge said in a press release. “I am looking forward to reengaging in my faculty role and contributing in a different way to teaching and learning excellence at Purdue.”

Akridge was in charge of an initiative to grow enrollment and staff, which resulted in more than 7,000 new undergraduates and 200 new faculty. He also helped develop the Purdue Next Moves initiative, and implement Transformative Education 2.0 and the Equity Task Force. His leadership during the pandemic was key, too.

“We are grateful for his loyal and excellent service in perhaps the most strenuous and taxing job on campus,” said President Mitch Daniels in the statement. “I’ll especially remember his indispensable efforts through the pandemic and his leadership in our growth as a 21st-century land-grant institution. Jay has given Purdue more than 40 years of great service, and we look forward to many more.”

Incoming president Mung Chiang agreed with Daniels.

“Jay has been and will continue to be an extremely valued colleague at Purdue,” Chiang said. “I thank him deeply for his vital and outstanding contributions in so many ways to our university throughout the past four decades.”

Chiang, who will take over the leadership post Jan. 1, 2023, said the university will formally thank Akridge for his service during an event in December.

Byron Pipes, the John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Purdue since 2004, will lead the search committee for Akridge's replacement. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 28.

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