Office of Future Engineers’ Lindsay Elias receives 2023 Martin Award

Lindsay Elias is driven by connections. Whether she’s engaging with the thousands of prospective students and families who step into the Office of Future Engineers each year or mentoring the 20-plus undergraduate engineering peer counselors she oversees, Elias strives to create positive and meaningful interactions that dig deeper than casual conversation.

“It’s a joy to come in every day and do what I do,” Elias says. “I can’t imagine coming to work and not connecting with others. My goal in life is to leave anyone that I meet feeling better than before they met me.” 

Elias was recently named the winner of the university’s 2023 Eudoxia Girard Martin Memorial Staff Recognition Award, an honor that recognizes a full-time administrative assistant on the West Lafayette campus who demonstrates qualities of heart, mind and spirit that evince a love for and helpfulness to students, faculty and staff.

Amy Boyle, vice president for human resources, presented the award to Elias on Dec. 4 in the Purdue Memorial Union. It consists of a medallion, a framed description of Eudoxia Girard Martin’s life and a $1,000 honorarium.

When she stepped into the role of office manager nearly 10 years ago, Elias was supported by two student staff members in the Office of Future Engineers. Knowing she needed more hands on deck to manage the office’s growing workload, Elias slowly expanded her team of peer counselors by personally interviewing, hiring and onboarding each one. She teaches them how to interact with prospective students and families, give recruitment presentations, complete reports and answer emails and phone calls — all skills that build their ability to serve as ambassadors and leaders in the college recruitment process.

“I don’t know how I could do it without them,” Elias says. “I want to provide a safe space for them and a place where they can grow and learn, and it became kind of a mission of mine to help them help us. Regardless of the careers they choose, they’re always going to use the skills that we teach them.”

But she’s not just an office manager; she’s the go-to person for her team of student workers, many of whom often simply refer to her as their Purdue mom. Elias’ nurturing and supportive leadership style has created a safe space for students in the office — a space and face they can turn to no matter what hardships they’re up against.

Letters supporting Elias’ nomination underscored her unwavering kindness and empathy toward students and her ability to selflessly advocate for them in and out of the office.

“From the moment I started working for her, she became like a second family to me,” one student nominator said. “She has a remarkable ability to be the mom students under her need at school. Lindsay possesses the patience of a saint, the determination of a true leader and the remarkable ability to make everyone feel like they truly belong.”

Even when her students move on from their roles and pursue their post-graduation plans, many return to visit Elias and celebrate their victories with her. Those who can’t make it to campus set up regular calls with her — a scheduled time to just chat about where life has led them. Every week, Elias meets, texts or chats with at least one of her former students. She not only welcomes it; she looks forward to it.

“They will always have a family and a group of people who care about them who they can turn to no matter where they are or when it is in their lives,” Elias says. “We hear a lot about the Purdue family, and I think the Office of Future Engineers is such a good representation of what that really means.”

This isn’t Elias’ first time being recognized for her work at Purdue. In 2022, she was the recipient of the Rose Award, presented to Elias by the Barbara Cook Chapter of Mortar Board for her willingness to go above and beyond in her role. And in 2016, she was honored with two College of Engineering Awards of Excellence focused on customer service and teamwork. 

Every award she’s received has been special, but this one is truly reflective of the care she has for those who work in her office. And to Elias, that’s the greatest gift of all. 

“My students know they have a home here and someone they can go to for advice,” Elias says. “They know they’re not going to be judged, and they know I’m going to be honest with them. This award means so much to me because it shows that they know how much I care about them. To me, that’s more important than anything else.”