Purdue University taps longtime administrator to serve as VP of research
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Purdue University on Monday announced Dan DeLaurentis as its next executive vice president for research. He currently serves as vice president for research institutes and centers at Purdue’s Discovery Park District.
DeLaurentis joined the Purdue faculty in 2004 as a professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He also previously also served as chief scientist of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Systems Engineering Research Center UARC from 2019-2024.
Beginning his new role on July 1, DeLaurentis will succeed Karen Plaut, who announced in January announced her plans to retire.
“Professor Dan DeLaurentis…has been an outstanding leader, researcher and educator, including over two decades of success at Purdue,” Purdue President Mung Chiang said in a news release. “I am excited that Dan will work with the entire campus in a serene, sturdy and strategic way to lead Purdue research at a time of national transformation.”
The university touts a record $647 million in research awards in the last fiscal year, marking a 6% year-over-year increase.
Purdue said under DeLaurentis’ leadership, the 15 centers and institutes at Discovery Park District were involved in more than $205 million of Purdue’s total funded research in 2024.
“Professor DeLaurentis has excelled during his two decades at Purdue, working in many roles with his colleagues in engineering and across a range of disciplines at Purdue, as well as with partners nationwide, while leading his research efforts and instruction with a focus and grace that’s inspiring and admirable,” said Lucy Flesch, who led the search committee to find Plaut’s successor. “He was the ideal candidate at the ideal time for this vital Purdue role in our ongoing pursuit of research excellence at scale.”