Purdue President Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. received the Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education. Under his leadership, Purdue University has not raised tuition for seven consecutive years, while providing a world-class education and protecting academic freedom. Through Purdue Global—the University's innovative online school—Purdue is becoming a leader in global e-learning alongside its successful polytechnic high school, which is reinventing STEM education.

During his remarks, President Daniels highlighted the work of Purdue's College of Liberal Arts, which has crafted "a two-year bundle of courses specifically chosen to equip a STEM graduated with the essentials of liberal education." ACTA is proud to honor him for a lifetime of public service and remarkable contributions to American higher education.

The Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education honors individuals who advance liberal arts education, core curricula, and the teaching of Western civilization and American history. The Award is named in honor of Philip Merrill, a distinguished public servant, publisher, businessman, and philanthropist who served as a trustee of Cornell University, the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, the Aspen Institute, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.