As we wrap up the spring semester and prepare for a busy summer leading into fall, we’re excited to share the latest updates from the Purdue Women in Engineering (WiE) Program.
This year has brought some extraordinary highlights. According to data from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Purdue now enrolls the largest number of undergraduate women in engineering in the country. While our engineering college is large, the scale of this achievement is absolutely remarkable — 3,745 undergraduate women and 1,420 graduate women, for a total of 5,165 women studying engineering at Purdue.
One meaningful way to celebrate how far we’ve come is by reflecting on our past. The John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering Emerita Leah Jamieson and I, along with a small but dedicated team, have been invited to write a book on the history of women in engineering at Purdue. The story begins with Martha Dicks Stevens Mills, who became the first woman to earn an engineering degree at Purdue in 1897. You’ll find more about this project below, including a link where you can share photos or stories from your time at Purdue for possible inclusion. And if anyone happens to know who served as president of the Purdue Society of Women Engineers in 1961, I would love to hear from you!
We are also pleased to welcome Jessica Dudine as our new WiE office manager, and to celebrate the retirement of Dawn Mikels. You can read more about both of them in this issue.
Finally, please mark your calendar for a WiE Alum/Student Networking Reception on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, from 4-5:30 p.m. The event will feature WiE Director Emerita Jane Daniels and alum Patti Kessler Poppe (BSIE ’89, MSIE ’91). We hope you’ll be able to join us.
As always, a heartfelt thank you to our alumni, friends, Purdue faculty, staff and students who have contributed to our programs over the past year. Your support is what makes the impact and reach of WiE possible.
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
WiE's 'wonderful fit' Mikels retires
Interruptions weren’t a frustration.
Quite the opposite.
If the environment around Dawn Mikels’ office — no matter the building it was in — was too quiet, Mikels would get “bored.” She’s too relational not to be engaged in regular conversations. Which is one of the reasons Beth Holloway hired Mikels as the “welcoming face” for the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program in 2005.
For nearly 20 years, Mikels was that and so much more as an administrative assistant, building the program’s Exploring Engineering event and using elite organizational skills to keep the office running smoothly. She retired in December 2025.
New staffer Dudine refreshing office role to support WiE
Jessica Dudine is excited to start something new — for herself and for the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program — as office manager. Coming from a background in childcare and mental health care, Dudine provides office support to the WiE outreach team in coordinating Introduce Engineering Day and Exploring Engineering.
Storytellers series
With a family full of engineers and a problem-solving bent, Jennifer Estep (BSME) always was going to follow an engineering path. After doing research, Estep only applied to one college.
“I knew, for sure, that Purdue was the right place for me,” Estep said.
An influential piece to that decision was WiE, and Estep learned its value quickly. After struggling academically in her first year, Estep leaned heavily on the WiE community.
And it changed everything.
“You need other people to lift you up,” Estep said. “And I think that’s what the Women in Engineering Program is here for.”
Congrats to our 2026 WiE Leadership Team graduates
Elise Bauerschmidt
Outreach Leadership Team, BSECE
AnnaBella Brown
M&M Leadership Team, BSABE
Navya Datla
M&M Leadership Team, BSECE
Keona Fielitz
ENGR 194 TA, BSECE
Anagha Gaitonde
Operations Leadership Team, BSABE
Isa Hollenstein
WE Link Leadership Team, BSBME
Sophia Jarc
WE Link Leadership Team, BSIE
Grace Klein
M&M LT, BSBME
Allison Komrska
Grad WiE, MSNE
Grace Mendoza
Outreach Leadership Team, BSME
Alayna Miller
Outreach Leadership Team, BSAAE
Alanna Nash
ENGR 194 TA, BSME
Grace Sizer
M&M Leadership Team, BSCE
Lillian Slack
Outreach Leadership Team, BSEEE
Maithili Upadhyay
M&M Leadership Team, BSBME
Olivia Vassios
ENGR 194 TA, BSME
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
Make a Contribution to the Women In Engineering Program
The Women in Engineering Program could not achieve its mission without our donors' generous support. We offer our sincerest thanks to all who have supported our programs.
Thanks to our volunteers
Help us preserve the history of women in engineering at Purdue by contributing photos and stories for a book publishing in 2027. Whether it’s a snapshot, a moment or a memory, your submission helps bring our shared past to life. Please complete the form and upload your materials.