Mung Chiang was named Northwestern’s next president, with his term starting July 1. He will succeed Michael Schill, who resigned in September 2025, while Interim President Henry Bienen stays in place until the end of June.
Mung Chiang will take over as Northwestern’s next president, the Board of Trustees announced Monday, setting a clear transition date for the university’s top leadership.
Chiang’s presidency is scheduled to begin July 1, according to a University news release.. He will succeed former President Michael Schill, who resigned from the position in September 2025.. Interim President Henry Bienen. who served as University president from 1995 to 2009 and returned after Schill stepped down. will remain in the role until the end of June.
Chiang has been president of Purdue University, a fellow Big Ten research institution, since January 2023. In the news release, he is described as a first-generation immigrant and Northwestern’s first Asian American president.
“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,” Chiang said in the news release.
His academic path runs through electrical engineering and mathematics. Chiang graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and mathematics, along with a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering.
Before Purdue, Chiang held multiple roles at Princeton University for 14 years, including becoming one of Princeton’s youngest chair professors. He chaired the Princeton Entrepreneurship Council and served as director of the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education.
His Purdue career included serving as dean of Purdue’s College of Engineering from 2017 to 2023. and Purdue’s executive vice president for strategic initiatives from 2021 to 2023.. Both Bienen and Schill also have Princeton ties. adding another thread of continuity across the university’s leadership: Bienen previously served as dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. while Schill graduated from Princeton with an AB in Public Policy.
Board of Trustees Chair Peter Barris framed Chiang’s move as a leadership match for the university’s ambitions.. “Mung has his sights set on advancing and enhancing Northwestern among the world’s great research institutions. ” Barris said in the news release.. “Through his stellar academic and administrative leadership at multiple institutions. Mung has demonstrated his ability to harness opportunity and momentum while embracing the breadth and depth of a university.”
At Purdue. Chiang’s initiatives included securing $3.9 billion in investments to construct an artificial intelligence memory chip packaging facility. and he helped design and implement the 2022 federal CHIPS and Science Act.. The release also notes that Chiang was the first engineer to serve as science and technology adviser to the U.S.. Secretary of State, a nonpartisan position he was appointed to in 2020.
Northwestern’s search for its 18th president began in December. with Board of Trustees Vice Chair Steve Cahillane chairing the Presidential Search Committee.. Cahillane said that in conversations with Chiang throughout the search process. Chiang repeatedly emphasized Northwestern as “one of the world’s most eminent comprehensive universities. ” where “the interdisciplinary culture drives innovation and new ideas.”
Chiang’s appointment arrives after a year marked by intense federal scrutiny of the university. which culminated in a November deal with the Trump administration to restore research funding after the government froze $790 million in April 2025.. NU’s interdisciplinary nature is what drew Chiang to the university, he said in the release.. His first priority as president will be engaging with stakeholders in the community, from students to trustees, he added.
“I will listen to every one of the 12 colleges and schools, cheer every one of the 21 sports teams, visit Northwestern Medicine hospitals, and participate in every cherished campus tradition,” Chiang said in the news release.
The timeline tightens around the leadership shift itself: Schill resigned in September 2025. Bienen’s interim term runs until the end of June. and Chiang’s start date is July 1—while the university’s most recent federal funding disruption is described as freezing $790 million in April 2025 and ending with a November deal.
The Board of Trustees announcement also places Chiang’s arrival against the backdrop of a major institutional search process that began in December. with Cahillane chairing the committee. and it lands after the release describes his experience steering large-scale initiatives at Purdue. including $3.9 billion in investments tied to an AI memory chip packaging facility.
Mung Chiang Northwestern 18th president Henry Bienen Michael Schill Board of Trustees Purdue CHIPS and Science Act artificial intelligence memory chip packaging facility
July 1 already?? Seems fast, like how are they not gonna mess up the transition.
So he’s the first Asian American president right? That’s cool I guess but does this change tuition or parking prices or whatever. Also why did the last guy resign like that’s the real story.
Wait I thought Northwestern presidents usually come from Ivy League schools only? Like Princeton ties too and now Purdue. But isn’t Purdue in the Big Ten so he just jumped conferences? I’m confused but sounds like same old elite network.
Interim president until end of June, then boom July 1. That sounds like HR made a calendar and called it leadership. Also he’s an electrical engineering/math guy—so are they gonna push more stem stuff and ignore arts? idk maybe