Higher Ed, Public Policy and a Divided America

media release: The La Follette School is committed to promoting thoughtful, informed policy conversations from multiple perspectives. In this spirit, we are pleased to host Mitch Daniels, former governor of Indiana and president emeritus of Purdue University, as our 2026 Spring Spotlight speaker. He will explore the state of politics and policymaking, potential solutions for higher education, ways to find common ground amid divisiveness, and more.

In a moderated conversation with Susan Webb Yackee, the director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, Governor Daniels will share perspectives gleaned from a unique career that reached the highest levels of both state government and higher education.

Governor Mitch Daniels' visit is made possible by Ted and Mary Kellner, the Kohl Initiative, the College of Letters & Science, the Paul Offner Lecture Series, the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy, and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.