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Purdue names Preeti Sivasankar interim pharmacy dean
Sep 17, 2026
📍 Phliadelphia,PA, USA
# Preeti Sivasankar Named Interim Dean of Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy
Purdue University has announced a leadership change in its health sciences division, naming Indian American scientist and academic Preeti Sivasankar as interim dean of the College of Pharmacy, effective October 1, 2026.
Sivasankar will succeed Eric Barker, who has led the College of Pharmacy as dean since 2017. Barker is moving into a broader university leadership role as Purdue’s senior vice president for health affairs.
As interim dean, Sivasankar will oversee the college’s academic, research and engagement activities while helping guide the institution through its next phase of development.
Her appointment brings together several areas of expertise across Purdue. She currently serves as vice president for research innovation and leads the Strategic Interdisciplinary Research division within the university’s Office of Research.
In addition to her new responsibilities, Sivasankar will continue overseeing the Lilly-Purdue 360 Initiative, a $250 million partnership between Purdue and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company.
The initiative focuses on advancing the use of artificial intelligence in areas including drug discovery, advanced manufacturing and the development of next-generation therapeutics.
Purdue has said that a national search for the college’s permanent dean is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Sivasankar will lead the College of Pharmacy during the interim period as the university conducts that search.
Her academic career spans multiple institutions and scientific disciplines. Sivasankar began her higher education in India, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1996 and a Master of Science degree in 1998 from the University of Mumbai.
She later moved to the United States to continue her graduate education and earned her PhD from Northwestern University in 2005.
Sivasankar is also an NIH-funded researcher whose scientific work centers on voice disorders and upper-airway pathophysiology.
Her research career has been accompanied by extensive academic leadership at Purdue. She previously served as head of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.
She also holds a courtesy appointment in Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and an adjunct appointment at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Her professional affiliations include the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Laryngological Association and the National Academies of Practice.
Sivasankar is an elected fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and an associate fellow of the American Laryngological Association.
She is also a distinguished fellow of the National Academies of Practice, reflecting her involvement in interdisciplinary healthcare and academic work.
Her transition to the College of Pharmacy comes at a time when universities are increasingly connecting pharmaceutical research with artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering and other emerging technologies.
Her existing role in Purdue’s research leadership also gives her experience working across disciplines and coordinating large-scale research initiatives.
The College of Pharmacy combines education, scientific research and engagement with the healthcare community, making the interim dean position a significant leadership responsibility.
Sivasankar’s background in biomedical research and university administration adds another dimension to Purdue’s efforts to connect health sciences with broader research and innovation programs.
Her continued involvement with the Lilly-Purdue 360 Initiative will also keep her closely connected to one of the university’s major collaborations involving artificial intelligence and pharmaceutical innovation.
The leadership transition follows Barker’s move into the senior vice president for health affairs position, expanding his responsibilities across Purdue’s health-related programs.
For Sivasankar, the appointment represents a move from research and interdisciplinary leadership into the administration of one of Purdue’s major health sciences colleges.
The university’s upcoming national search will determine the permanent leadership of the College of Pharmacy, while Sivasankar will guide the college during the transition.
Her appointment highlights Purdue’s broader emphasis on interdisciplinary research, healthcare innovation and partnerships connecting academia with industry.
As she assumes the interim dean position, Sivasankar brings together experience in scientific research, academic administration and university-wide research strategy to lead the College of Pharmacy through its next stage.
Purdue University has announced a leadership change in its health sciences division, naming Indian American scientist and academic Preeti Sivasankar as interim dean of the College of Pharmacy, effective October 1, 2026.
Sivasankar will succeed Eric Barker, who has led the College of Pharmacy as dean since 2017. Barker is moving into a broader university leadership role as Purdue’s senior vice president for health affairs.
As interim dean, Sivasankar will oversee the college’s academic, research and engagement activities while helping guide the institution through its next phase of development.
Her appointment brings together several areas of expertise across Purdue. She currently serves as vice president for research innovation and leads the Strategic Interdisciplinary Research division within the university’s Office of Research.
In addition to her new responsibilities, Sivasankar will continue overseeing the Lilly-Purdue 360 Initiative, a $250 million partnership between Purdue and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company.
The initiative focuses on advancing the use of artificial intelligence in areas including drug discovery, advanced manufacturing and the development of next-generation therapeutics.
Purdue has said that a national search for the college’s permanent dean is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Sivasankar will lead the College of Pharmacy during the interim period as the university conducts that search.
Her academic career spans multiple institutions and scientific disciplines. Sivasankar began her higher education in India, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1996 and a Master of Science degree in 1998 from the University of Mumbai.
She later moved to the United States to continue her graduate education and earned her PhD from Northwestern University in 2005.
Sivasankar is also an NIH-funded researcher whose scientific work centers on voice disorders and upper-airway pathophysiology.
Her research career has been accompanied by extensive academic leadership at Purdue. She previously served as head of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.
She also holds a courtesy appointment in Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and an adjunct appointment at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Her professional affiliations include the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Laryngological Association and the National Academies of Practice.
Sivasankar is an elected fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and an associate fellow of the American Laryngological Association.
She is also a distinguished fellow of the National Academies of Practice, reflecting her involvement in interdisciplinary healthcare and academic work.
Her transition to the College of Pharmacy comes at a time when universities are increasingly connecting pharmaceutical research with artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering and other emerging technologies.
Her existing role in Purdue’s research leadership also gives her experience working across disciplines and coordinating large-scale research initiatives.
The College of Pharmacy combines education, scientific research and engagement with the healthcare community, making the interim dean position a significant leadership responsibility.
Sivasankar’s background in biomedical research and university administration adds another dimension to Purdue’s efforts to connect health sciences with broader research and innovation programs.
Her continued involvement with the Lilly-Purdue 360 Initiative will also keep her closely connected to one of the university’s major collaborations involving artificial intelligence and pharmaceutical innovation.
The leadership transition follows Barker’s move into the senior vice president for health affairs position, expanding his responsibilities across Purdue’s health-related programs.
For Sivasankar, the appointment represents a move from research and interdisciplinary leadership into the administration of one of Purdue’s major health sciences colleges.
The university’s upcoming national search will determine the permanent leadership of the College of Pharmacy, while Sivasankar will guide the college during the transition.
Her appointment highlights Purdue’s broader emphasis on interdisciplinary research, healthcare innovation and partnerships connecting academia with industry.
As she assumes the interim dean position, Sivasankar brings together experience in scientific research, academic administration and university-wide research strategy to lead the College of Pharmacy through its next stage.
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