Women in ME offers networking opportunities and support
Women currently make up 17% of undergraduate students in mechanical engineering, and 17% of faculty. "We can do better," said Julia King, Managing Director of Staff for Purdue Mechanical Engineering, and one of the organizers of the new Women in ME group. "We want women to know that they are valued, appreciated, welcomed, and supported here in ME."
This semester, they have been welcoming successful women alums back to campus to talk about their own experiences. In collaboration with Purdue's Women in Engineering Program, these "Access Alum" events offer current students the chance to interact with alumnae, hear their stories, and envision what their own future careers could be. The first guest, Jessica Traver Ingram, studied biomechanics while at Purdue, and now is the CEO of her own biomedical startup company.
"It's important to show our students all the possibilities that mechanical engineering can offer," said King.
The events will culminate in the first-ever Women in ME Symposium, happening on Thursday, November 3. This all-day event will offer unique workshops and networking opportunities to encourage women in their academics and future careers.
"We encourage both MEs and First-Year Engineers to attend these events and learn more about the stories of these amazing women," said King.
Melanie Petsch
Tuesday, October 18, 10:00-11:30am, ME 2052
Melanie (BSME '88) is an expert in big data analytics and visualization, most recently at the New York Stock Exchange. Now she is a Deployment Strategist for Palantir Technologies. She's a member of the Purdue ME Advisory Council, and received the Outstanding Mechanical Engineer award in 2018.
Marcy Alstott
Thursday, October 27, 3:00-4:30pm, ME 2052
Marcy (BSME '79) is an executive who specializes in operations and supply chain. She has served as VP of Operations for companies like Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard, and is now a Managing Partner for OnTap Consulting. She will be inducted into Purdue's Co-Op Hall of Fame in October.
Jordan Golomb
Tuesday, November 1, 3:00-4:30pm, ME 2052
As a patent agent, Jordan (BSME '97) utilizes her experience in both mechanical engineering and the business world to represent the intellectual property needs of her clients. She's served companies big and small, and currently works at Olympus Corporation.
Women in ME Symposium
Thursday, November 3, 2:30-9:00 (various events in ME Building and WALC)
- Meet with women students and faculty of ME
- Hear from successful alumnae
- Fireside chats
- Networking sessions
- Helpful workshops
- ...and more!
Find out more about the first-ever Women in ME Symposium!
Questions about the Women in ME group? Contact Julia King at 765-494-5702 or juliaking@purdue.edu