The Women in Engineering (WiE) Program is your #1 fan and is here to support you during your time at Purdue. Explore the student staff profiles compiled below - 12 current students and 3 very recent alums - to learn more about WiE networking and support opportunities from their perspective. We are excited to welcome you as you join 4000+ female students following their dreams.
 Aikya Chirra | Class of 2023 | Major: Biomedical Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: WE Link
How has being a part of the WiE Leadership Team (LT) impacted you?
Being a part of the WiE Leadership Team (LT) helped me gain mentorship, community, and a sense of purpose at Purdue. I started on the team very early in my college career, and the opportunity to connect with upper-level students and faculty granted me many role models. They all were invested in my growth, gave me advice when needed, and supported me in being successful in and out of the WiE program. Moreover, the WiE Leadership Team made a large school like Purdue feel like a close-knit community as I made amazing friends and connections through the groups and projects I worked on. Finally, working on the WE Link LT and connecting with prospective students and their families allowed me to channel my passion for engineering and women's empowerment into impacting younger girls. What are your plans after graduation?
After graduating with my undergraduate degree, I will stay at Purdue for another year to complete the Professional Master's Program in Biomedical Engineering. I look forward to joining the medical device industry after graduation! What would you want alums to know about the Women in Engineering Program that they may not know?
Engaging with high school girls and undergraduate students new to Purdue, I can see how eager they are to experience a community of confident, creative female engineers and learn how to develop into one themselves. WiE has always done a fantastic job of helping current students connect with alums, and these conversations have always sparked motivation and passion in me. So, I want them to know that all of these interactions impact us in terms of being informed about what the future holds for us and feeling inspired to be the best engineer we can be. |
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Caroline Curtis | Junior | Major: Mechanical Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Mentees & Mentors
Caroline is from South Florida and came to Purdue to study Mechanical Engineering. Outside of M&M, Caroline is involved in Purdue Space Program, Purdue FIRST Robotics, and the PHI Sigma Rho sorority. She enjoys going to the gym, staying active, and catching up with friends in her free time.
Why Mentees & Mentors is great "M&M is great because it allows people who feel lost in their journey to becoming an engineer to find people who can help gain the confidence and connections they need to feel successful. It also encourages a strong bond between young women in engineering and exemplifies women supporting women."
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Zora Emmert | Junior | Major: Materials Science Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Mentees & Mentors
Outside of M&M, Zora volunteers for WE Link, where she aims to increase the number of women who choose to study engineering. Zora is also involved in the GEARE program and plans to study abroad in Germany and earn a minor in both Global Engineering Studies and German. She enjoys playing guitar, learning banjo, and scrapbooking in her free time.
Why Mentees & Mentors is great "M&M is a great opportunity to meet women in engineering in a supportive, encouraging environment outside of the classroom. As a participant in M&M, I have enjoyed developing my professional skills and have loved learning from distinguished women in different engineering fields."
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Natalie Harvey | Senior | Major: Mechanical Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Mentees & Mentors
Natalie is from St. Louis, Missouri studying Mechanical Engineering. Aside from the M&M LT program, she is in the Honors College and is involved in Club Tennis. Natalie was a manufacturing engineering intern at Dana Inc. the summer after her first year. In her free time, Natalie enjoys playing tennis, spending time with friends, and playing video games.
Why Mentees & Mentors is great "I feel that the M&M program is a fantastic way for women to connect with other female engineering students and create great friendships to last a lifetime. It allows first-year students to learn from upper-level students, making their transition in to college much smoother, and upper-level students can share their experiences with the next group of female engineers."
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 Emily Helmuth | Junior | Civil Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: WE Link
Emily is a co-chair of the Recruitment Project Committee of WE Link. Along with WE Link, she is involved with Kiewit Scholars, Purdue Orientation Programs, Civil Ambassadors, Purdue Gymnastics Club, Dance Marathon's Morale, and WiE M&M. Emily spent last summer as a Specialty Camp Coordinator for a YMCA day camp. Emily enjoys watching Purdue sports and traveling.
Why WE Link is great
"I love being involved in WE Link as it has given me a supportive community here at Purdue! It has helped me to grow my professional skills and connect with prospective students, current students, and alumni."
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 Becca Jennings | Senior | Materials Science and Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: WE Link
Becca is the social media co-chair for WE Link. Outside of WE Link, she is the student manager and meet coordinator for the Purdue Diving Team, an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, and an MSEE undergraduate researcher. This past summer, Becca worked with the Purdue Diving Team and attended the 2021 Olympic Trials as a member of the staff. She is an avid Purdue sports fan and loves to work out.
Why WE Link is great
"I love WE Link because I can see my direct impact on prospective students. I wanted to be a part of this program and connect with students since I know how much of a positive effect it had on me as an incoming first-year student."
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Kaniese Mack | Senior | Biomedical Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Mentees & Mentors
Kaniese is on the Mentees & Mentors Leadership Team. Outside of WiE, she has been involved in Engineering Projects in Community Service to design interactive tactile walls for a local child development center. She is plans to pursue a minor in Global Engineering through the GEARE program and study abroad. In her free time, Kaniese enjoys watercolor painting, learning new things, and improving at rollerblading.
Why Mentees & Mentors is great "I admire the M&M Program for encouraging young female engineers to grow their network, gain self-confidence, and expand their skills. I am eager to continue growing as a leader and form new connections with others in this program."
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 Madeline McNarney | Senior | Industrial Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Operations
Maddie is a member of the Operations Assistant Leadership Team for the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program. Maddie is also a member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (where she serves as an Ambassador for the School of Industrial Engineering), Purdue Old Masters, Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority (where she serves as Facility Director), and Purdue Ski and Snowboard Club. Outside of school, Maddie enjoys running, reading, traveling, cheering on Purdue's basketball team, and spending time with friends and family.
Why working for WiE is great
"I love being a part of WiE because it helped me establish a home at Purdue. Being around like-minded women in engineering has helped encourage and push me to be the best I can be."
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 Rebecca Mold | Senior | Biological Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Mentees & Mentors
Rebecca is on the Leadership Team for the M&M program. She is from Twinsburg, Ohio, and in addition to her honors engineering major, she is pursuing a minor in Music History and Theory. Outside of M&M, she is involved with her sorority, Phi Sigma Rho, the Purdue Symphony Orchestra, and Stempower, an organization dedicated to introducing girls to STEM. She has been a member of the Goss Scholars Leadership Council, and in Fall 2021, a Boiler Gold Rush Team Leader. Rebecca enjoys running, baking, and listening to music in her free time.
Why Mentees & Mentors is great "The M&M program allows participants to form important relationships with their fellow female engineers, allowing both mentors and mentees to learn from each other. These connections, along with resources and programming provided by the Women in Engineering Program, help set up engineering students for success."
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 Eliza Mount | Class of 2023 | Civil Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Operations
How has being a part of the WiE Leadership Team (LT) impacted you?
Getting to encourage and inspire students of all ages in the context of engineering has been so rewarding. My favorite part of being involved with WiE is talking about my experiences with prospective students and their parents in the office or at recruiting events. Seeing their excitement for the engineering field and Purdue is always energizing. How has your WiE LT participation impacted others?
Some of the most reassuring experiences are the 'thank you' messages we receive after major recruiting and outreach events. Students and parents will share that our interactions have influenced their decision to study engineering at Purdue. Often, I think back to how daunting the college decision process was as a senior in high school, and I am so glad that I have been able to help others through that decision as a WiE LT. What are your plans after graduation?
I am pursuing a non-thesis Masters through Purdue's 4+1 Program in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering. Next school year, I will continue my job on campus with the Resilient Extra-Terrestrial Habitats Institute, funded by NASA. I will be interning with Bechtel in Civil/Structural Design of a nuclear power project from Reston, VA, this summer. What would you want alums to know about the Women in Engineering Program that they may not know?
At Purdue, the Women in Engineering Program is more than an offering of resources. Students, especially LT, can find a sense of community in WiE. Whether planning for events or hosting alumnae or visitors, I've connected with people I may have yet to cross paths with otherwise. After working as an Office Assistant all four years of college, I am so thankful for the upper-level students who helped me learn and grow academically and professionally! |
 Athulya Nair | Senior | Biological Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: WE Link
Athulya is a co-chair for the Recruitment Project Committee for WE Link. Besides WE Link, Athulya is also an Undergraduate Peer Teacher for First-Year Engineering classes, a member of the Women in Engineering Mentor and Mentee Program, in the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and involved with undergraduate research. She spent the last summer interning with Samsung Electronics America. Outside of school, Athulya likes to read, go on walks, and try new coffee shops.
Why WE Link is great
"I love WE Link because it helped me realize that Purdue Engineering was the right fit for me, and now I can help other prospective female students discover their passion for engineering and the STEM field."
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 Ella Richardson | Junior | Mechanical Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: WE Link
Ella is a social media co-chair for WE Link. In addition to WE Link, she is involved in the Society of Women Engineers and the Leading Women Toward Space Careers Program. Last summer, Ella was a visiting scholar at the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence. Ella enjoys hiking, reading, and watching movies in her free time.
Why WE Link is great
"I love WE Link because it allows me to connect with prospective students. The sense of community and support from the Women in Engineering Program is what attracted me to Purdue in the first place. I enjoy sharing my experiences and love for Purdue with future students to bring it full circle."
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 Nicole Rytczak | Senior | Multidisciplinary Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Outreach
What have you gained from participating in the WiE outreach team?
Being on the WiE outreach team has helped me enhance my leadership skills and cater my leadership style toward different groups of people, whether it be coworkers, high schoolers, or kindergartners! I feel much more confident in my ability to interact with children and in considering the ideas of others in a collaborative space. I have also made close friends that I would not have met otherwise.
Why do you believe it is important to give back to the future generation of engineers?
Giving back to future engineers is crucial as it is an essential step to completing the cycle of authentic leadership. It is important to give back to the educational organizations and other aspects of life that got you where you are. I give back by educating children about engineering in hopes that we fuel their interests and create young engineers. It is also important to me because I was not exposed to engineering when I was younger, and my path to engineering is a non-traditional one. By talking to kids about STEM, specifically engineering, I feel I can make a difference in their lives and give them an advantage in engineering that I did not have!
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Reliable. Driven. Bold.
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 Morgan Smith | Class of 2023 | Nuclear Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Outreach
What have you gained from participating in the WiE outreach team?
Outreach has given me a sense of fulfillment that I wouldn't get from my other engineering classes. Working with the local community has always been important to me, and outreach allows me to inspire young women.
Why do you believe it is important to give back to the future generation of engineers?
Strong role models and networks are essential in the engineering field. By connecting with young engineers, we can give them a sense of community and be a model for what engineers can be. Young women need to see themselves in the current generation of engineers so they don't feel like they will be alone when entering the field.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Passionate. Ambitious. Imaginative.
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 Elyse Zurawski | Senior | Biomedical Engineering
WiE Leadership Team: Mentees & Mentors
Elyse is on the leadership team for the WiE Mentees & Mentors Program. Along with M&M, Elyse is involved with Purdue FIRST Programs, where she mentors FIRST Robotics students in the Lafayette and West Lafayette communities and organizes events involving teams nationwide. In her free time, she enjoys visiting Purdue's CoRec, baking, and playing golf.
Why M&M is great "M&M is an amazing opportunity because it provides easy access to a supportive community of women with similar interests. As a first-year student in the program, the interactions with my peers and mentors in our monthly meetings build confidence in my choice to be a Purdue Engineer, and as a member of the leadership team, I am excited to help others feel the same!"
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