A New Role, A Familiar Mission

Maria Wiltse has built her career around a central question: What difference did this make? As Lead Impact Evaluator for the Purdue University Office of Engagement (OoE), she is now focused on answering that question at the university scale.

This year, Maria transitioned to the OoE, where she leads evaluation efforts that span the entire university. She remains connected to the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD), contributing to ongoing projects there while also supporting additional evaluation initiatives within the OoE. For Maria, this move is less a departure than a natural progression — one that builds directly on the work she has spent years developing.

That foundation runs deep. Before joining the OoE, Maria built expertise at PCRD in mixed-methods research, performance measurement, and impact evaluation, with a particular focus on rural community development. She co-led the design and development of evaluation and data collection frameworks for several major federal initiatives, including the EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC), the EDA Heartland BioWorks Tech Hub (currently active), and the NSF Engines programs. She holds a master’s degree from Purdue University.

Now, she’s bringing all of it to bear on a new challenge — and she couldn’t be more ready for what’s ahead.