Empowering Future Engineers: Purdue Engineering’s Impact at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) National Convention
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) National Convention, WE24: Together We Rise, in Chicago (October 24-26, 2024) saw Purdue University College of Engineering making a significant impact. Aligning with Purdue’s Vision 2030 goal to become "the No. 1 source of women engineers in the nation," Purdue Engineering's participation demonstrated its commitment to advancing women in STEM and producing excellent engineering talent.
Purdue's SWE presence was marked by a bustling booth at the Graduate Fair and a well-attended Women in Engineering Program (WiEP) breakfast, drawing over 200 participants. The university's team from both SWE West Lafayette and Indianapolis chapters was impressive, representing the College of Engineering Dean’s Office for Graduate Education, school graduate program units (Gambaro Graduate Program of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and research centers (The Purdue Energetics Research Center (PERC) and The Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR)).
Purdue Engineering’s presence also featured attendance of:
- Over 100 undergraduate students
- 94 graduate students, including 77 Master’s of Engineering Management students
- 10 staff and faculty members focused on graduate education and summer research
The graduate team engaged with more than 165 prospective graduate students at the Graduate and Career Fair, highlighting Purdue's programs and opportunities. Both undergraduate and graduate students actively participated in technical research talks, enhancing their knowledge and professional networks.
Looking ahead, Purdue is set to launch GradSWE, led by Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Student, Amanda Stone, to further support women in graduate engineering programs. Amanda was also honored with the 2024 Outstanding Graduate Student Member Award through the Society of Women Engineers.
The WE24 convention offered many opportunities, including a career fair with over 450 organizations and inspiring sessions from industry leaders. For Purdue and other institutions, the event served as a platform to inspire and empower the next generation of women engineers and technology leaders.
Learn more about Purdue SWE.
“My favorite part of the SWE National Convention was the career fair, where I had the chance to encourage prospective students to consider graduate studies at Purdue and to network with industry professionals, broadening my career and professional connections.” – Shanmukhi Sripada | Ph.D. Student, Mechanical Engineering
“My favorite part of SWE was meeting other Boilermaker alumni. We bonded over traditions that have lasted through the years, which made me feel a real sense of community. Plus, they shared some amazing advice that will help me as I grow in my career.” – Winfrey Paul Sagayam Dennis | Master’s Student, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Mechanical Engineering
“WE24 helped me grow professionally as I got to showcase my research as a Graduate Rapid Fire competition finalist. It was inspiring to share my work amongst other talented women and also enhance my science communication skills.” – Ellen Frahm | Ph.D. Student, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue in Indianapolis
“Through the WE24 conference, I have been able to expand my network of supportive fellow female engineers […]. The informative and empowering speaker sessions also allowed me to learn from leaders and experts in the industry and achieve my professional goals of improving soft skills. ” – Jessica Nelson | Ph.D. Student, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
