Bridge builder: Bead’s leadership, fervor for Purdue Engineering inspires future, current students
Amareah Bead, one of seven Purdue Engineering Fellows in 2025-26, has left a mark at Purdue University through servant leadership and an enthusiasm to share engineering.
Amareah Bead loves bridges.
Like loves them.
Her career goal is to work on an iconic bridge. The kind you see and pause and then have to lift your hand to your face to push up the jaw that dropped, in awe of the awesomeness of it all.
It’s not just the bridges she loves, of course. She has to love structural engineering, too, which she does, focusing on that as she pursues a civil engineering degree at Purdue University and in multiple internships with the HNTB Corporation, an American infrastructure design firm.
Loves it so much she wasn’t even disappointed when a supervisor in one of those HNTB internships gave her a project to design a concrete slab. It’s exactly what it sounds like, literally drawing a square on a sheet of design paper.
“But I got to put my initials on it — and now that concrete slab is somewhere in Indiana,” said Bead, a smile growing wide. “And I’m like, ‘That’s my slab. My initials are on the plans forever and ever.’ ”
There’s tangible evidence of Bead’s mark at Purdue, too.
In three-plus years in the College of Engineering in West Lafayette, she’s cemented an impressive legacy.
Academically, she’s been stellar, not just with a high GPA as a Purdue Kiewit Scholar and Dean’s lister every semester. Undergraduate research experience working with concrete has been transformative, helping professor Mirian Velay-Lizancos developing more sustainable concrete while solidifying her career aspirations.
But that academic prowess is not even the imprint that’ll define her time at Purdue.
Bead already has spent years building bridges of another sort.
That lasting impact played a major factor in Bead being selected one of seven Purdue Engineering Fellows in September. The honor values influence on the Purdue Engineering community, a commitment to making a difference in the lives of others and in the college.
That’s Bead, and the way she’s done it hasn’t just been intentional but inspirational — a servant’s heart, with compassion and empathy, backed by an overflowing joy that energizes everyone around her.
“Amareah’s leadership within the Purdue community is exceptional,” said Tamara Markey, associate director of MEP and one of several staff members who nominated Bead for Engineering Fellows. “As vice president and now president of the National Society of Black Engineers Purdue chapter, Amareah has led by example. She fosters belonging, drives academic and professional programming, and uplifts others with grace and generosity.
“When opportunities arise to serve, Amareah consistently steps forward. She has volunteered to guide prospective students, speak with admitted students about her Boilermaker experience, and support campus outreach events through the Purdue Student Engineering Foundation.
“In every role, she leads with integrity and a spirit of service, lifting others and modeling the values that define Purdue Engineering.”
Learning to lead
Amareah Bead won’t forget the first time.
After an official tour on a campus visit in 2021, Bead and mom Jeanette walked into the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, seeking out the Minority Engineering Program (MEP) offices. The director’s door happened to be open. They stopped in to say hello.
An hour later — Virginia Booth Womack can talk and especially enjoys chatting with students, even if a visit may be impromptu — the Beads left.
And, for Amareah, at least, a decision was made.
She was going to enroll at Purdue, was going to get a jump start in MEP’s Engineering Academic Boot Camp the summer before the first semester and, once school started, explore to find her fit.
Didn’t matter that the EABC deadline technically had passed. Booth Womack said she’d make it work, if Bead committed.
“That was just the start of so many opportunities that have been given to me in my time here,” Bead said. “So, then, as much as I can, I try to make sure everyone is aware of all the resources we have within the College of Engineering. Anything I can do to help other people to have the best time they can is what I try to do.”
That list is long.
And offers variety.
At Booth Womack’s suggestion, Bead didn’t wait to join NSBE, its rich history birthed at Purdue in the 1970s that Bead would soon factor into. She started as a general member, but by sophomore year, she’d joined the executive board. By junior year, she moved to vice president, and, now, she’s president. In each role, Bead listened, learned and worked, each experience forming how she’d lead the group when she got the chance. Recruiting new members and creating relevant, impactful events for that group became a priority.
Not long after joining NSBE, Bead heard about the Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF). She “joined” in the spring semester of her first year. Two years later, she had moved into a co-director role for Advancing Prospective Engineering Experiences (APEX) — and dove head-first into implementing major changes to the event geared toward introducing high school students to engineering. Recruiting potential Boilermakers and creating relevant, impactful activities for that group was a priority.
Not long after PSEF, Bead learned about Purdue Kiewit Scholars. She applied and was selected as a first-year student. Every fall since, Bead’s made it a goal to recruit a civil or construction major who would be an ideal fit for the program, and, unabashedly, Bead reports a perfect record.
“That’s my flex,” she said with a laugh. “It’s just making sure other people know about these opportunities.”
Interesting choices for someone who claims to have been “shy” and introverted in high school and never envisioned leadership positions in college.
“I try to be in positions where I know I can do the most good,” Bead said. “Being able to help in that way is so fulfilling for me, even if it’s not ‘president’ or ‘director.’ Just trying to do the best I can. If there is a position, like now, where I feel like I’ve grown enough and learned enough where I feel like I am able to lead an organization like NSBE effectively, it’s a position I’m ready to put myself in and put myself in.
“Over the years, I’ve really learned that I do like being able to help people through leadership.”
Bead’s certainly had examples of servant leadership to draw from.
She called her parents, Valeriani and Jeanette Bead, the most giving people she knows. Both chose careers to help people, dad a cardiologist and mom a First Amendment lawyer-turned-author whose books focus on Afro-Latinx representation in romantic comedies.
Once at Purdue, Amareah Bead watched as Kyndall Davis (NSBE), Alexis Kindred (NSBE), Griffin Laihinen (PSEF), Elizabeth Grivetti (PSEF) and Sam Dlott (PSEF) focused on ensuring people were fulfilled and didn’t get caught up in getting the credit, even though they were pivotal cogs in some of the college’s most influential student organizations.
Bead has learned the importance of understanding others’ perspectives, admitting when she needs help and being transparent.
“I really do try to admit when I’m wrong or when I need help because I don’t want to be falling apart and try to pretend (otherwise). I feel like that’s how you bring everyone down with you,” she said. “It used to be hard (to admit I was wrong), when I was in my earlier years at school, and then I realized I’m going to be wrong all the time for the rest of my life, like everyone else. So it’s better to admit when you’re wrong so it can be fixed (instead of) standing 10 toes down in it and making the problem even worse.
“Admitting when you’re wrong actually does more good. You might be embarrassed, but that’s temporary.”
Enthusiasm to inspire
In the midst of it all, Bead never stopped being an ambassador for Purdue Engineering.
As part of PSEF, students must give a minimum of 14 campus tours per semester in the spring and seven in the fall. As her college career is winding down, one may think Bead would as well. Maybe pull back, focus on undergraduate research or lean into her time as NSBE president or as a Dean’s Leadership Scholar or as a civil engineering ambassador or into time commitments for Kiewit Scholars.
But to even make such a suggestion prompts an immediate reaction. Almost a level of shock and offense at such an idea.
“I really like doing them,” Bead said. “PSEF doesn’t give us a script or anything. We really just get to talk. I think it’s awesome. I really just talk about myself for an hour. It’s really fun. Especially answering peoples’ questions about Purdue. I think it’s the best thing ever. Understanding what they’re interested in …”
Bead’s starting to speed up now, the excitement rising in her voice.
“… and half the time when they’re like ‘I’m interested in this,’ there’s a very specific resource for that here, which is just the craziest thing.”
Now, her voice pitch changes, presumably to imitate a high school student.
“ ‘I’m interested in research. I’ve never done any before, but I would really like to try it out.’ ”
Bead’s smile is back again, wider.
“There’s actually a first-time researchers fellowship,” Bead said, essentially adding an exclamation point with the inflection. “I feel like I’ve also learned so much about the college, being able to give tours. I just find it so fulfilling.”
Bead estimates she’s giving about 75 official tours, and she’s hoping to hit “triple digits.”
That’s just of the official variety. The unofficial count? Who knows?
If an email pops in NSBE’s inbox asking for a tour, she’ll volunteer. If a staffer or academic advisor sees Bead studying and has a prospective student with them, they’ll ask her, and she obliges.
If someone emails PSEF with questions for a civil engineering student, Bead gets those, too. And she responds with the “longest emails ever.” With links. She realizes they may not all be read until the end, but that’s OK.
She’s just happy to help.
“It’s been such a privilege to be here,” Bead said.
Up next
But Bead isn’t done yet.
After Bead graduates in May, she’ll head back to HNTB for another internship. The full-timers there joke every time she shows up, “Aren’t you full-time yet?” Soon, she hopes. But before that career officially starts, Bead will be return to West Lafayette for graduate school.
That’s the path she’s seen those future co-workers in structural engineering take, so she knows it is the right next step. Next fall, she’ll take classes to be better prepared for when she goes into industry. And she’ll keep dreaming of building bridges.
And maybe more.
“Bridges are still awesome, but if I could find a way in life where I could use my engineering skills but also be helping people, whether that’s, like, coming and working for Miss Tam in 30 years …” said Bead, smiling again.
“I just feel like that’s what’s been done for me. I’ve never been the first to do anything. There’s always been someone who has led me in the right direction or opened that door for me, so I’m not going to close it on my way in. I’m going to make sure others are able to get in the same position.”
