Director's message
The end of the academic year is a great time to share an update about the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program.
In November, WiE partnered with Purdue Brand Studio to host the “In Our STEM Era” makerspace event, connecting with over 10,000 people over two days, with WiE providing engineering students for the media features, staffing at the event and STEM projects.
This edition of the newsletter features two staff hires from 2024-25: Katie Smith as assistant director for K-10 programming and alum Beata Johnson (BSChE ’16, MSME ’24, PhD ENE ’24) to spearhead programs at Purdue University in Indianapolis. We’ve loved the energy and enthusiasm Katie and Beata have brought to WiE, and we’re excited for you to get to know them. We also honor the dedicated members of our student leadership teams who graduated this spring.
A sincere thank you to the alums, friends and Purdue faculty, staff and students who served our programs this year. We are truly grateful for your contributions and commitment. We welcome other volunteers who would like to support WiE moving forward. Don’t hesitate to reach out.
Beth HollowayLeah H. Jamieson Director of Women in Engineering
Senior Assistant Dean for Student Access and Success
Professor of Engineering Practice, Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
Featured Story
Enthusiastic former elementary school teacher tabbed with leading WiE's outreach
Katie Smith always envisioned working at Purdue University. Born and raised in West Lafayette, Indiana, less than 10 minutes from campus, Smith was familiar with the influence of the university. She’d also heard a lot about Purdue from dad Allen Nail, an alum. In January 2025, Smith was eager to share with dad exciting news: She was going to work at his alma mater. Just in a bit of a different role than either of them would have thought.
Alum Feature
WiE alum helps Purdue students form community in Indianapolis
Beata Johnson (BSChE ’16, MSME ’24, PhD ENE ’24) loved her time at Purdue University because of the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program. So when the opportunity arose in 2024 to bring WiE programs and community to Purdue’s expansion in Indianapolis, Johnson eagerly accepted the job.
Congratulations to our 2025 WiE Leadership Team graduates
Diya Banerjee
Outreach Leadership Team; BSME
Caroline Brown
Outreach Leadership Team; BSABE
Zora Emmert
M&M Leadership Team; BSMSE
Emily Helmuth
WE Link Leadership Team; BSCE
Avery Kimmel
Operations Leadership Team; BSChE
Sydney Kroon
ENGR 19400 Leadership Team; BSCE
Chalisa Kulprathipanja
M&M Leadership Team; BSBME
Christina Lumpp
Operations Leadership Team; BSAAE
Charlotte Moss
Outreach Leadership Team; BSME
Ella Richardson
WE Link Leadership Team; BSME
Shreya Sinha
M&M Leadership Team; BSBME
Partner with WiE
Opportunities for Engagement
There are many ways to get involved with the Women in Engineering Program, including volunteer opportunities.
Access Alum
WE Link
Exploring Engineering at Purdue
ENGR 19400
Mentees & Mentors Grad WiE Network
Engineering Outreach Partner Initiative
Corporate Partners
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Make a Contribution to the Women In Engineering Program
The Women in Engineering Program could not achieve its mission to enrich the profession of engineering with women's full participation without our donors' generous support. We offer our sincerest thanks to all who have supported our programs.