New WiE staffer Dudine refreshing office role to support program as well-rounded resource
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, which was on Feb. 21, and Exploring Engineering in April and October 2026.
It’s a great change of scenery for Dudine, whose experiences primarily stem from childcare and having two small children. She’s excited to use those skills to help students get the best introduction to Purdue University.
"I think my calmness in talking to students, especially when they’re still prospective students, helps them deal with being a little intimidated from being on a college campus,” said Dudine, who has been with WiE since December 2025. “I always want them to know that they don’t have to ask all the questions in one day.”
In college, Dudine dabbled in a few different fields of study before deciding college wasn’t the right fit. She gained an education through 10 years working in childcare, perfecting calmness and perspective taking. Before coming to WiE, Dudine was a front desk associate for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Purdue where she connected students to mental health resources.
Dudine’s office management role initially included aiding the student WiE recruiting team in planning for biannual Exploring Engineering events — one for juniors in April 2026 and one for both juniors and seniors in October 2026 — about the programs Purdue Engineering offers. Dudine is expanding the role to include assistance with Introduce Engineering Day, a free one-day program for ninth and 10th grade students interested in engineering, and whatever else the outreach team needs to create a successful event.
What stood out to Dudine in WiE from the first day in the office was the close-knit dynamic. The hallway is constantly packed with high-achieving student workers — many of whom report to Dudine for event help — and an accomplished and supportive team of faculty and staff.
"I'm just trying to be a resource for everyone else,” Dudine said. “I'm going to learn as much as I can and help the other WiE teammates do all that they need to help the students.”