Grad WiE Network
VISION
The Grad WiE Network strives to empower and connect women engineering graduate students.
MISSION
To provide a supportive environment for the purpose of sharing information and strategies to enable women engineering graduate students to achieve success personally, academically, and professionally.
Program Objectives
- Community: To establish an inclusive network that affirms, inspires, and supports women and gender minorities throughout the engineering graduate career.
- Strategies: To provide opportunities to develop skills and introduce strategies for professional and personal development.
- Advancement: To provide an enriching experience that encourages individual growth, and furthers the community of women engineers.
In accordance with Purdue policies, all persons have equal access to Purdue University’s educational programs, services and activities, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or status as a veteran. See Purdue’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance at vpec@purdue.edu or 765-494-5830.
All events and activities are held in person on the West Lafayette campus.
The Grad WiE Network will host the
4th annual Grad WiE Network Symposium
Sharing Your Voice
on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025
at Purdue University
A professional development workshop will be held on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.
The Grad WiE Network Symposium is an opportunity for women graduate students to build community, support your peers, hear about exciting research, and learn from inspiring alumnae.
4th annual Grad WiE Network Symposium schedule of events
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP TENTATIVE AGENDA
Monday, Feb. 24, 2025
2:45 p.m. Sign-in Opens
3 p.m. Welcome
3:10-5 p.m. Developing Your Mission
5-6 p.m. Networking Reception
SYMPOSIUM TENTATIVE AGENDA
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025
9 a.m. Sign-in Opens
9:30-10:15 a.m. Opening Plenary (with continental breakfast)
10:30-11:40 a.m. Student Presentation Session 1
11:50-1:30 p.m. Alumni Keynote & Luncheon
1:45-2:45 p.m. Student Presentation Session 2
3-4 p.m. Student Presentation Session 3
4-5:30 p.m. Closing Reception, Networking & Awards (with hors d'oeuvres)
Questions, please contact the Grad WiE Network Leadership team: wiepgwen@purdue.edu
In accordance with Purdue policies, all persons have equal access to Purdue University’s educational programs, services and activities, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or status as a veteran. See Purdue’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance at vpec@purdue.edu or 765-494-5830.
The Women in Engineering Program proudly presents
Sharing Your Voice, Centering Your Purpose
4th annual Grad WiE Network Symposium
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025
at Purdue University
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - CLOSED
Acceptance Decision: Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024
The Grad WiE Network Symposium will be held Feb. 25, 2025. It is a unique opportunity for College of Engineering graduate students to build their network, share the impact of their work in new and engaging ways, and learn from inspiring alumnae. The symposium accepts abstracts on topics associated with your research. We encourage all presenters to use active engagement strategies when presenting, so please start thinking about how you will engage your audience.
Incentives for presenters
Those who are registered for and present at the Grad WiE Network Symposium will be eligible for the WiE Travel Grant drawing. Five (5) WiE Travel Grants of $2,000 each will be randomly awarded. WiE Travel Grant funds can only be used for professional conference travel within the 2025 calendar year at which the awardee presents their novel research. Names will be drawn at the end of day closing reception. Must be a current CoE graduate student and present to win.
Key Points
- Submit a 250-400 word abstract that includes an introduction, research significance (which answers the question “why did you do this research?”), methodology, key findings and the implications of your work. Please keep in mind that your abstract likely will be reviewed by someone outside your field; thus, write for someone who may not be familiar with your research area.
- The symposium has three presentation types (outlined below). Indicate your preference when submitting your abstract.
- Each type of presentation will have limited spots available. We urge you to consider submitting your abstract to the Grand Challenges in Engineering or Pecha Kucha types.
Presentation types:
- Grand Challenges in Engineering (NEW THIS YEAR!)
- Pecha Kucha
- Traditional Conference Talk
- Grand Challenges in Engineering – To align with dean Arvind Raman’s themes for celebrating Purdue College of Engineering’s 150th anniversary, the Grad WiE Network offers the Grand Challenges in Engineering presentation style.
In this style of presentation, you will select one of four cross-sectional themes of the NAE Grand Challenges of Engineering. Include in your abstract a paragraph how your research addresses goals associated with the theme you select. For more information on each theme, please visit the YouTube videos (link provided).
- Sustainability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwJ5E_EUUF4
- Health: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c05imowc7Q
- Security: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckHdkOR1OHg
- Joy of Living: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk3T3_QYrT0
- Some subtopics of the above themes include, but are not limited to, providing access to clean water, advancing health informatics, reverse-engineering the brain, and advancing personalized learning.
- You will prepare a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation discussing how your research contributes to furthering one of these four themes. Each session will have four individual talks followed by a panel session where you and your fellow presenters will answer questions from the audience in a panel (i.e., discussion) format. Accordingly, you will all discuss the intersections of your novel research. As a reminder, few people will share expertise in your technical field - ensure that the discussion of the research process is accessible to a multidisciplinary audience.
- On the abstract submission form, you sign-up as an individual presenter. If your abstract is accepted for this talk type, you will be placed in a group of other submissions associated with the same Grand Challenge theme. Prior to the Symposium, we will put you in contact with the three other presenters in your session. You are not required to coordinate with the other presenters prior to the session, but we encourage you to connect.
Goal: Discuss the broader impacts of your research to a multidisciplinary audience and how your work is contributing to novel engineering innovation associated with the Grand Challenges of Engineering.
Presentation Format:
- 10-minute PowerPoint presentation (no questions after individual presentations)
- 20-minute panel session
- Pecha Kucha – 400 seconds to tell your story with visuals guiding the way. Pecha Kucha means chit-chat in Japanese (https://www.pechakucha.com/about).
Goal: Creative use of images and storytelling to show your research; opportunity to think creatively about your work and how you convey its impact to others.
Presentation Format:
- PowerPoint with 20 images, 20 seconds each, auto-advancing slides
- 5-minute PowerPoint presentation
- 3-minute Q&A session
- Traditional Conference Talk – The traditional way of presenting your research at an academic conference; usually has slides to aid listeners in understanding the topic. Please remember, the audience will be your peers in Graduate School but not in your field. Your talk should be understandable for those outside of your field.
Goal: Practice presenting and answering questions for a talk meant for a traditional academic conference.
Presentation Format:
- 10-minute PowerPoint presentation
- 2-minute Q&A session
Acceptance decision for abstracts is Nov. 27, 2024.
Additional information and FAQ can be found on the Grad WiE Network website.
Please contact the Grad WiE Network Leadership team (wiepgwen@purdue.edu) with any questions or concerns
In accordance with Purdue policies, all persons have equal access to Purdue University’s educational programs, services and activities, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or status as a veteran. See Purdue’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance at vpec@purdue.edu or 765-494-5830.
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Congratulations to the 2024 WiE Travel Grant winners who were selected from presenters at the 3rd annual Grad WiE Network Symposium: Sharing Your Voice, Taking Your Next Leap held February 13, 2024.
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2024: Sharing Your Voice, Taking Your Next Leap
2023: Sharing Your Voice, Extending Your Reach
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Meet the Grad WiE Network Leadership Team
 Suzanne Zurn-Birkhimer, PhD | Associate Director
Zurn-Birkhimer is the associate director of the Women in Engineering Program and oversees the Grad WiE Network. Here is her bio.
"The Grad WiE Network is near and dear to my heart. I was involved in a similar program during my graduate years. Not only did it allow me to build a community of women scholars, I was able to grow personally and professionally. I am excited that we continue to bring these amazing opportunities to students today."
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 Cathy Deno | Administrative Assistant
Cathy is one of the Women in Engineering Program's administrative assistants. She works with the mentoring program teams and the WE Link recruitment team. Here is her bio.
"I love that the Grad WiE Network offers our women graduate students not only the opportunity to network with women outside of their disciplines but also a safe place to practice unique ways of presenting their research at the annual symposium."
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 Reshma Chandrasekar | MS Student | Aeronautics and Astronautics
Reshma is from Coimbatore, India, and obtained her B.Tech in aeronautical engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, Indian, in 2023. During her undergraduate studies, she was actively involved in several aeromodelling projects, which significantly deepened her interest and broadened her expertise in the field. She is currently pursuing her MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue, where her research interests focus on aircraft design and optimization. In her spare time, she plays basketball, attends dance fitness classes and finds herself drawn to reading more and more murder mystery novels.
"The Grad WiE Network has been instrumental in my graduate journey, providing a platform to connect with like-minded women in engineering who understand the challenges and triumphs of this field. Through workshops, social events and the symposium, I've gained invaluable insights and support from peers and experienced professionals alike. The sense of belonging and encouragement I have found in this community has helped me grow as an engineer and inspired me to contribute to the broader mission of empowering women and increasing their participation in STEM."
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 Allison Komrska | MS Student | Nuclear Engineering
Allison received her BS in nuclear engineering from Purdue University in 2024 and is continuing on to pursue her MS in nuclear engineering. She currently works with associate professor Allen Garner in the BioElectrics and ElectroPhysics lab studying the theoretical modeling of plasma physics and electron emission mechanisms for pulsed power devices. Allison is also involved in Purdue’s Women in Nuclear chapter. Outside of school, she enjoys baking new recipes, reading good books and water skiing (when weather permits).
"The Grad WiE Network is an amazing program that fosters a welcoming, comfortable and inclusive environment for women graduate students in engineering, while also offering opportunities for academic and professional development. Through networking with alumni and fellow students, participating in semester events and attending the symposium, Grad WiE has provided me with a community of women to support me academically, professionally and personally."
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 Burla Ondes | PhD student | Industrial Engineering
Burla received her BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Florida at Gainesville in 2019. Her PhD research is focused on deriving performance bounds for multi-objective simulation optimization algorithms. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, visiting springs and reading novels.
"The Grad WiE Network is an extraordinary program that offers many opportunities for women graduate students, such as networking with alumnae and fellow women graduate students along with the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. It also provides a welcoming environment for women graduate students in any discipline of engineering, which is extremely important especially in graduate school."
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 Raquel Ruiz | PhD Student | Civil Engineering
Raquel is is a structural engineering PhD student from the Chicagoland area. She received a BS in engineering and BA in music performance at Cornell College and completed her MS in structural engineering at Purdue University. She is currently working with professors Julio Ramirez and Mirian Velay-Lizancos to study the structural and material properties of fiber reinforced concrete. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, painting and dancing.
“The Grad WiE Network is an amazing program that helps graduate women find a supportive community within Purdue. This program has given me opportunities to make connections and friendships with those outside of my department who have supported me though my graduate career.”
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 Morgan Smith | PhD Student | Materials Engineering
Morgan received her BS in nuclear engineering from Purdue in 2023 and is continuing on to ger her PhD in materials engineering. She currently works with assistant professor Maria Okuniewski studying the microstructural properties of U-Zr fuel for advanced reactors. Outside of Grad WiE Network, Morgan is interested in nuclear policy and is a member of the Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation as well as the graduate representative for Purdue's Women in Nuclear chapter. In her free time, she enjoys playing her cello and cozying up with a good book.
"The Grad WiE Network provides so many opportunities to engage with your peers as you navigate being a graduate student and the unique experience of being a woman in engineering. The network has provided me with a greater sense of community with the graduate students here at Purdue and helped me with the transition from undergraduate to graduate school."
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 Shanmukhi Sripada | PhD Student | Mechanical Engineering
Shanmukhi is from New Dehli, India, and obtained a BS in mechanical engineering in 2021 from the Indian Institute of Technology, Dehli, India. She worked as an R&D engineer at Dassault Systèmes Solutions Lab before joining Purdue University as a PhD student. Her research focuses on developing materials and metrology tools for improved thermal management in electronic and electrical devices. In her spare time, she plays badminton, attends Zumba classes and reads books.
"By joining the Grad WiE Network, I established valuable connections with fellow women engineers, including graduate students, professionals, faculty and alumni, who share my dedication to making significant contributions in the field of engineering. Participating in the pop-in events and presenting at the symposium not only allowed me to network with women who share similar goals but also enabled me to develop lifelong friendships that I hold dear."
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