Five students selected as 2021-2022 Purdue Engineering Fellows were announced during a ceremony on Sept. 13 in Fowler Hall. A reception followed in the Loeb Playhouse lobby. This is the third year for the program.

Each student will receive a $10,000 gift upon graduation and may use the funds in any endeavor. The gifts are made possible through the generosity of benefactors Robert H. Buckman (BSChE ’59) and his wife, Joyce A. Mollerup.

The awards recognize the five seniors’ accomplishments, contributions and potential. The fellows are described as students who make a difference in the College and in the lives of others, bring creativity and imagination to their academic activities, demonstrate distinctive problem-solving abilities, and are respected by their peers and faculty.

Fellows are nominated as juniors by faculty and staff. All Engineering students at this stage of their college career are eligible to be nominated. A committee then makes final decisions.

“We are proud and excited to welcome our third cohort of Purdue Engineering Fellows,” said Mung Chiang, Purdue’s executive vice president for strategic initiatives and the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering. “These highly respected students exemplify exceptional academic performance, along with innovative leadership and community impact. Based on their accomplishments to date and thanks to the generosity of our donors Robert Buckman and Joyce Mollerup, the new fellows are poised to become tomorrow’s engineering trailblazers.”

The 2021-2022 Purdue Engineering Fellows are:

Matthew Boyle, Industrial Engineering

Boyle is a first-generation college student from Greenfield, Indiana. He is the treasurer of the Purdue Engineering Student Council (PESC), a College of Engineering Ambassador, and a member of Sports Analytics. He previously served as an Engineering Mentor Corps captain, a Rising Professional host, and a member of the Data Mine Learning Community, working for Cummins Inc. and Purdue Athletics. As the founder and head of the Mental Health Committee within the PESC, he helped drive well-being initiatives within the College of Engineering and Purdue as a whole by facilitating the implementation of a central hub website, advocating for integrating CAPS liaisons to the College, and administering a student body well-being survey to support future initiatives.

Boyle’s favorite thing about Purdue is the small community feeling within such a big school. He feels that Boilermakers, from faculty to students, go out of their way to ensure that everyone is succeeding while at Purdue and in their future careers. Post-graduation, he hopes to work in a supply chain or business analytics role.

Andrea Simone Gibson DuPerry, Industrial Engineering

DuPerry is earning a minor in global engineering and a Cornerstone Certificate in management and organization. A Bruce Helfert Memorial Award recipient during the 2020-2021 academic year, she has been on the dean’s list or received semester honors from the fall of 2019 to the present. DuPerry has served as a grader for IE 230 – Probabilities & Statistics – and currently is a teaching assistant in the undergraduate writing lab. Since her freshman year, she has worked as a communications assistant for the Purdue Minority Engineering Program (MEP). DuPerry also has served on the Industrial Engineering Student Advisory Committee (Vive Voce). Active in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), DuPerry currently serves as Purdue chapter president, and she previously was chapter membership chair, publicity chair, and president of the Freshman Board, as well as Regional Engineering Diversity chair. Also at Purdue, she is a member and current president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a member of the Society of Women Engineers, previously serving as a mentor. In addition, she lends her time as a seventh-grade algebra tutor and mentor for local students.

DuPerry’s favorite thing about Purdue is how the numerous outlets, organizations and resources allow for a campus of 40,000-plus students to feel like a tight-knit community. Finding a home with MEP and NSBE has provided her academic support and lifelong friendships. She says the variety of opportunities at Purdue enables students to explore new experiences and find comfort in familiar atmospheres. Her post-graduation plans are to work for a consulting firm, become a program/project manager, and obtain her MBA and work toward becoming a CEO of a major corporation.

Cole Heald, Mechanical Engineering

Heald, of Fortville, Indiana, has served as president of PESC and co-president of the Purdue Engineering Presidents’ Council (PEPC). As the 2020 Industrial Roundtable director, he transitioned the nation’s largest student-run career fair to a virtual format for the first time in its 40-year history. Heald also has been an Ambassador for the College of Engineering, a member of the Undergraduate Grade Appeals Committee, a Girl Scouts troop mentor through Stempower, and the design lead for an EPICS team.

While Heald has enjoyed all aspects of his Purdue experience, he loves the collaborative attitude of the community the most. Upon graduation, he intends to pursue a career in industry and continue exploring his passion for leadership.

Marcus Lannie, Mechanical Engineering

Lannie, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, is graduating in three years with minors in economics and intercultural communication. During his time at Purdue, he has served as president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) chapter, which, under his leadership, grew from 10 to more than 200 members. Lannie also has been a program manager of five EPICS projects and currently works part time as a mechanical engineering and marketing specialist with A-Laser. His previous internships focused on program management with G&W Electric, management consulting with Rolls-Royce, and mechanical engineering and marketing with Rogo Agriculture. He is best known for his “Marcus’ Morning Minute” (#MMM) LinkedIn video series, in which he shared an idea of optimism in a minute-long video for more than 500 consecutive days.

Lannie’s favorite thing about Purdue is the abundance of opportunities in leadership, socializing with peers, and professional networking, as well as dessert choices at the Silver Dipper, his favorite ice cream shop. Before pursuing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering in the fall of 2022, he plans to apply his prize money toward summer travel.

Angie Zhang, Aeronautics and Astronautics

Zhang, originally from Los Angeles, is earning a certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation. A first-generation college student, she serves as president of the Society of Women Engineers, a tour guide for the Purdue Student Engineering Foundation, and an Ambassador for Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She previously served as secretary of Women in Aerospace, spearheaded the AAPI Heritage Month initiative, and performed aerodynamic calculations for the Design Build Fly team. Zhang has conducted research on supersonic commercial flight at Purdue’s Systems-of-Systems Laboratory, optimizing domestic and international flight routes. Off campus, she has completed three internships at Lockheed Martin and two internships at Northrop Grumman in roles ranging from conceptual design to test engineering.

After graduation, Zhang aspires to be at the forefront of developing new aerospace technologies as a test engineer.