Purdue Alumna Kristen Cattin Inducted into Medtronic’s Prestigious Bakken Society

Kristen Cattin Distinguished Engineer | Systems Engineering Cardiac Rhythm Management Medtronic
When Kristen Cattin arrived at Purdue to study electrical and computer engineering, she could not have foreseen that her path would one day lead her to the highest technical honor at Medtronic. This August, Cattin was inducted into the Bakken Society—an elite group of 209 Fellows out of Medtronic’s 95,000 employees worldwide. The society recognizes the company’s most distinguished scientists, engineers and clinicians for their lasting contributions to patient care.

Cattin earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering at Purdue. As a graduate student in Professor George Wodicka’s biomedical acoustics laboratory, she completed her thesis on a miniature bioacoustic telemetric device and served as an award-winning teaching assistant in the renowned physiological measurements course.

“Kristen combined technical excellence with a gift for teaching,” Wodicka recalls. “It is no surprise she has gone on to lead at the highest levels.”

That foundation at Purdue proved invaluable when Cattin joined Medtronic more than 22 years ago as a systems engineer in cardiac rhythm management. She has since played a pivotal role in shaping the architecture of Medtronic’s pacemaker portfolio. Most notably, she served as the lead systems architect for the BlueSync™ technology that introduced Bluetooth-enabled pacemakers. This breakthrough allowed patients to check their pacemaker status securely through their smartphones for the first time—transforming accessibility, ease of use and peace of mind for patients of all ages.

“My commitment has always been to improve patients’ lives and address clinicians’ needs,” Cattin says. “Hearing patients’ stories about how our products have impacted their lives is both inspirational and rewarding.”

Her work has been recognized not only for technical rigor but also for its broad impact on patient care.

“Kristen drove the success of Medtronic’s first pacemaker that uses Bluetooth communication,” says fellow Bakken Society member Teri Whitman, also a Purdue alumna and former Wodicka student. “She is a role model who combines deep expertise with a passion for mentoring the next generation of engineers.”

For Cattin, the honor of joining the Bakken Society is both humbling and motivating. “I am honored and grateful to be recognized alongside such extraordinary colleagues,” she reflects. “This recognition inspires me to continue supporting Medtronic’s mission of alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life.”

With her induction, Cattin becomes the second of Wodicka’s former students to join the Bakken Society. Her story is a testament to the power of Purdue’s rigorous engineering education—and to the lifelong impact Boilermakers continue to make in advancing healthcare worldwide.