This fall, Varsha Simpadipura Prasanna began her journey in Purdue University’s Master of Engineering Management program — but her academic pursuit comes with a historic distinction. Varsha is the inaugural recipient of the DETermined Scholarship, a $30,000 award launched by the Duolingo English Test (DET) in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. The scholarship aims to empower young Indian women in STEM and support their ambitions to drive real-world change.

My pivot into Product required relentless effort and perseverance. Looking back, my journey to Purdue University and to my current role as a Product Manager, has been filled with challenges, hard work, and personal growth. My parents’ sacrifices laid the foundation for my success, and Purdue MEM enabled me to build upon it. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that opportunities are out there, but you must be proactive, find the right resources, and reach out to the right people.

13 events and 16 speaker collaborations since its inception in Summer 2023, Tanvi Kadari talks about how the Product Management Club at Purdue was brought to fruition by MEM graduate students.

Tears of joy streamed down Carlyse Wallace’s face when she learned she was accepted into Purdue’s Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program in November 2021.
“It was a dream come true for me,” she said.

I began Purdue’s MEM program after finishing my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. I knew from the start that Purdue MEM would present me with opportunities that would excel my professional career. What I did not know was how soon, and how exciting, some of those opportunities would be.

Alexandra McGrail, Andrew Ravi Kamalraj, Akriti Srivastava and Diva Sharma weaved through stacks of empty pink and white flour sacks. Nearby, vibrant orange and black machines hummed as they blended life-saving nutrients into maize flour.

My undergraduate in mechanical engineering made me very capable at using the tools of a design engineer, but Purdue’s MEM Program has built my understanding of how to adapt these tools to new types of problems while showing me the power of thinking with greater technical depth and a broader perspective.

I joined the MEM Program at Purdue University with a Bachelor of Mechanical and Production Engineering from Germany. I had previous industry experience in the German Space Sector, and wanted to extend my knowledge for my future career with Purdue MEM.

If there is one word that can describe my endeavors in life, it would be curiosity.

As a U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) Officer, we are charged with the planning, acquisition, construction, operation, and maintenance of all Navy and Marine Corps shore facilities worldwide.