Purdue Mechanical
Engineering Ambassadors

Meet Your Ambassadors

Meet this semester's group of ambassadors Our Current Members

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Abby Zahm
	Abby is a senior from Fishers, Indiana studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Management. This summer, she interned with Honda as a Vehicle Quality Engineer in Columbus, OH and studied abroad in Singapore. In Singapore, she got to try new foods, experience a new country and new cultures, and learn more about bioinspired structures with Prof. Arrieta. At Honda, she created educational carts over various market claims to be used in training to show associates the impact their work has on consumers, inspected cars for quality issues each week, and investigated a warranty claim to find the root cause of the problem. Last summer, she interned with General Motors in their Vehicle Accessories department, where she conducted benchmark research on floor mats, previewed the EV Hummer and Z06 Corvette, & processed warranty data to develop ideas on how to solve common problems with tonneau covers. Apart from PMEA, Abby is involved in Delta Phi Lambda Sorority Inc., Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) and the Minority Engineering Program (MEP). She has also been an Admissions Ambassadors, where she gave campus tours and a Team Leader and Team Supervisor in Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) where she helped orient new students. In her free time, Abby enjoys baking, jigsaw puzzles, arts & crafts, and going on walks.
Alexander Phan
Alexander is a senior from Evansville, Indiana studying Mechanical Engineering. He is the current President of PMEA and has previously served as Vice President and Secretary. This past summer, Alex studied abroad in Pamplona, Spain and interned at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, IN as a Process Engineering Intern where he troubleshot issues on a device assembly production line and implemented solutions. During the two summers prior, he worked at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, IN as a Paint Engineering Intern. On campus, Alex instructs ME 199 How Stuff Works, mentors ME students in ME 290, and plays soccer for Purdue University FC. In his free time, Alex enjoys watching and playing soccer, traveling, cooking, and film photography.
Benjamin Spotts
	Benjamin is a Senior from Douglassville, Pennsylvania studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Economics. Over this past summer, Benjamin interned at Eli Lilly and Company in parenteral manufacturing. Here, he incorporated first principles into the designs of vision and robotic systems. He has held two intern positions at Thermo Fisher Scientific, supporting commercial drug packaging as part of the Pharma Services Group (PSG). Significant projects include designing a manual carton bundler, which processed over 40,000 units and performing time studies to option a new piece of serialization equipment to increase operation capacity by 4x. In May of 2022, Benjamin participated in a multinational study abroad trip exploring supply chain and manufacturing practices in multiple European countries. At Purdue, he is part of PMEA as Vice President and works in the Robust and Adaptive Design Laboratory. With his free time, Benjamin enjoys racing and customizing cars along with exercising and enjoying the outdoors.
Carter Mayhan
Carter is a Senior from Springfield, Ohio studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Management. This summer Carter interned at General Electric Gas Power in Schenectady, NY working in manufacturing for power plant generator rotors. Experiences included designing new tools and fixtures to improve manufacturing process while applying lean and Six Sigma principles. He also completed three co-op rotations with Cook Research Incorporated mainly designing next generation medical devices. Other notable projects include automating manufacturing processes to reduce product cost. At Purdue, he is involved with PMEA on the Professional Development Committee, Purdue Solutions Consulting as a Project Manager, Sigma Nu Fraternity, Admissions Ambassador (tour guide) program, and ME 290 mentor. In his free time, Carter enjoys swimming, running, hiking, and traveling.
Cecelia Carlson
	Cecelia is a senior from Arlington Heights, Illinois, studying Mechanical Engineering, a fifth semester member in PMEA. She earned an entrepreneurship certificate and is focused in product and process design. She was a product management intern at Dwyer Instruments. She worked at Samtec in two Co-Op rotations: New Product Development and Mainstream Tooling. Over summer, she taught at STEAM camp Galileo to inspire young innovators, especially girls, by incorporating her own engineering experiences into each project. At Purdue, she tutored for the Women in Engineering Program, mentored for the sophomore seminar course, and she instructed a freshman ME Elective, How Stuff Works for two semesters. Her favorite experience has been with Engineering Projects in Community Service, where she was Design Lead on a startup project creating a display for Wolf Park. In her free time, she is a member of Club Spikeball, hikes, plays pickleball, works out, and enjoys reading.
Cole Stephens
Cole is a junior from San Diego, California studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Economics and Creative Writing. He is also pursuing the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Certificate and has a certificate in Entry-Level Python. Currently, he is working at Herrick Labs and Birck Nanotechnology Center as an undergraduate research assistant analyzing high temperature heat pumps and semiconductor cooling. Last summer, he worked at Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics Company, developing custom machinery in the field of manufacturing. Last year, he worked in Flex Laboratories as an undergraduate research assistant where he determined print optimizations for a 3D Micro-Printing Machine for Micro-robotics. In summer 2022, he interned at Caterpillar Inc. as an Order to Delivery Corporate Intern in the Remanufacturing Department where he implemented data analytic tools to increase the quality of remanufactured engines. Two years ago, he worked as an undergraduate research assistant at Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories working on projects such as 3D printing energetic materials and jet propulsion using mars sand. Other work experience in high school includes working for the companies Pointwise, Northrop Grumman, Rizza Engineering Inc, and CGPT Physical Therapy and Fitness. Other than PMEA, I have involvement in Investment and Trading at Purdue and IEEE EMBS.
Connor Hall
	Connor is a Junior from Los Angeles, California studying Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Business Management. He is part of the Outreach Team in PMEA with a focus in connecting young students to the mechanical engineering field. On campus, Connor is a Manager at the France A. Cordova Recreational Center where he is responsible for supervising facility activities and employees. During his Sophomore year, Connor served as a TA for the sophomore ME lab course Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design where he guided undergraduate ME students through the engineering design process to develop a new product based on consumer and manufacturer specifications. The last two summers, he also served as a volunteer for FIRST Robotics off-season events where he taught elementary and middle school students the principles of engineering and robotics design. In his free time, Connor enjoys bouldering, flying FPV drones, and playing the piano.
Emily Udell
Emily is a senior studying Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Design and Innovation. She is currently also involved with Purdue Engineering Outreach. In addition to these, she has also been an ME290 mentor as well as a How Stuff Works Instructor. In the summer of 2022, she interned on the Innovation Team at Kiewit and ran a project on the design of a solar powered charging station for rovers used on job sites. This past summer she interned at Design Collaborative, an architecture firm in Fort Wayne, as a mechanical designer. In her free time, Emily enjoys pickleball, hiking, cooking with friends, and playing many instruments.
Emma G. Balevic
	Emma is a senior from Houston, Texas studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Engineering. She’s completed five Co-Op rotations with Honeywell Aerospace in Phoenix, Arizona and Los Angeles, California. Her work at Honeywell focused primarily on pneumatic design, additive design and manufacturing, test engineering, and systems engineering. Emma is currently involved in PMEA, SWE, and the Phi Sigma Rho sorority for women in STEM. She loves working with undergraduate students both as a mentor for ME 290 and a tutor in Purdue’s athletic department. Additionally, Emma is part of research in sustainable building technology with Dr. Eckhard Groll, where she works on vertical farming within the DC House. Outside of classes and extracurriculars, Emma loves spending her money at REI, reading, baking cookies, running, and weight-lifting.
Emma Caldwell
Emma Caldwell is a junior from Toledo, Ohio studying Mechanical Engineering. This past summer, Emma has worked at Cleveland Cliffs in Burns Harbor, IN as an Engineering Intern. Additionally, during the spring semester in 2023, Emma worked at Keurig Dr. Pepper in Essex, VT as a Multisite Engineering Intern, where she oversaw the installation of two product manufacturing lines while working with the Project Management Team. On campus, Emma has peer mentored students with the Disability Resource Center, served as an orientation leader for Boiler Gold Rush, and she is currently instructing ME 199 - How Stuff Works. Emma is also the President of the Women’s Club Soccer team. In her free time, Emma enjoys working out, traveling, reading, and listening to new music.
Evan Lee
	Evan is a junior from Lincoln, Massachusetts studying Mechanical Engineering. He is the committee head for the Public Relations committee and has also been an instructor for ME 199: How Stuff Works. In addition to PMEA, Evan is an undergraduate researcher at Purdue’s Applied Optics Lab developing submersible biosensors. He has also researched with Purdue’s Convergence Design Lab creating augmented reality systems for industrial applications in manufacturing and assembly. This past summer, Evan interned at Caterpillar, Inc. in an engine lab working with mechanics to support tool design and lab forecasting data. Last year, he interned at Diversified Technologies, a company specializing in high-voltage, high-power pulsed modulators and power supplies. Evan has a strong interest in industrial and product design. Outside of the classroom, Evan enjoys skiing, playing the violin, producing music, and photography.
Evin Lugo
Evin is a junior from San Juan, Puerto Rico majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Manufacturing. Last spring, Evin completed a co-op rotation with Kimberly-Clark in Beech Island, SC where he worked with the paper manufacturing process and implemented strategy in their Additive Manufacturing Lab. At Purdue, Evin is part of the Honors College, serving as a TA for the first-year engineering classes and previously served as a peer mentor for first-year students. He also works as a researcher with Prof. Wu in the FLEX Lab developing advanced, wearable sweat analysis systems. Evin is a member of the Student Activities committee of PMEA and of Society of Hispanic Engineers. In his free time, Evin enjoys playing beach tennis, paddleboarding, and top-rope climbing along with painting and playing the piano.
Grace Ryan
	Grace Ryan is a Junior in Mechanical Engineering from Long Island, New York. Grace interned this past summer with The PAR Group working with the Fire Protection Division in Lynbrook, New York. She created equipment submittals, reviewed overlays for large projects in New York City, and helped with estimating large bids as well. On campus, Grace is a team lead for the ASME Prosthetics Club that is designing a prosthetic hand for a chef in Italy and is also a mentee in the ME Alumni Mentorship program. She also participated in a Maymester this summer and visited 3 different cities in Germany while doing company tours, visiting historical sites, and also meeting students and professors at the University of Stuttgart and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, traveling, and listening to music.
Jake Pare
Jake is a Senior from Newtown, Connecticut, majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in art and design. This last summer, Jake worked an internship with Stanley Black & Decker in New Britain, Connecticut, focused on automated assembly lines. The previous summer, Jake worked an internship with Cleveland Cliffs in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. On campus, Jake is in the outreach committee within Purdue Mechanical Engineering Ambassadors and also participates in many intramural sports. His other interests include watching hockey and football, fishing, working out, and spending time with friends.
Jeffrey Huang
	Jeffrey is a senior from Cupertino, California studying Mechanical Engineering. In PMEA, he is part of the Student Activities Committee, creating networking events for ME students and cultivating the ME community. He is also involved with research with Dr. Blumenschein where he is involved with creating vine robots. Over the summer, Jeffrey worked as a Manufacturing Intern at Stellantis. There, he conducted a cost analysis initiative aimed at replacing steel shipping mounts with 3D printed materials utilizing a Stratasys 3D printer. In his free time, Jeffrey enjoys climbing and spending time outdoors with Purdue’s Outing Club.
Jenn Baer
Jenn is a senior from Tenafly, New Jersey studying Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Innovation and Transformational Change. Last summer, she worked as an Operations Intern with Trane Technologies in New Jersey where she gained project management skills through leading a process improvement team. The summer prior she worked as a Quality Engineering Intern for Avery Dennison and developed their Quality Management System. Outside of PMEA, she served as the Favors Chair in the Chi Omega Fraternity and coordinated and designed merchandise for the organization’s philanthropy events. She is also involved on campus as a peer mentor for the Women in Engineering Program (WIEP) and on the merchandise committee for Purdue Bodybuilding. In her free time she enjoys exercising, reading, and doing anything creative and hands on.
Jenn Short
	Jenn is a senior from Libertyville, IL studying Mechanical Engineering. Most recently, she interned with Toyota North America R&D in Saline, MI doing Front and Rear Crash Vehicle Crashworthiness Engineering. She has also interned previously with Andretti Autosport as a part of their IMSA LMP3 team, GE Aviation in their Military TSTP Control Systems Engineering section, Chip Ganassi Racing doing trackside race engineering. She also her freshman year, researched under Prof. Jan Anders Mansson at the Manufacturing Design Laboratory, developing a manufacturing method for polypropylene-long glass fiber pellet orientation in prepreg-fiber preforms. Aside from PMEA, she is also involved in the Purdue Society of Women Engineers as the President, is a member of the Grand Prix team and Phi Sigma Rho Sorority. In her free time, Jenn enjoys watching Indycar and F1, hiking, and attending Purdue Basketball games with friends.
Jessica Howell
Jessica is a senior from Columbus, Ohio studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Psychology. She interned at Worthy Engineering while working on HVAC systems, equipment validation, and programmable logic controllers. She also interned at Moog ISP twice working in both project and design engineering. She also did undergraduate research with Professor Monique McClain using additive manufacturing techniques to print parts consisting of different materials for propulsion systems. She is currently a course coordinator for ME 199 - How Stuff Works. She has served as the Secretary of PMEA, Student Activities Committee Head, and as an instructor for ME 199. Aside from PMEA, she has been involved with the Purdue Lunabotics team, Phi Sigma Rho, Women’s Club Lacrosse, and being a peer mentor for ME . In her free time Jessica enjoys watching football, participating in intramural sports, and cheering on the Purdue Basketball team.
Joel Kerr
	Joel is a Junior from Evansville, Indiana studying Mechanical Engineering. This past summer he worked at BWX Technologies and improved the process of manufacturing submarine nuclear components for the US Navy. At the plant, he helped commission an industrial furnace and applied infrared technology for monitoring weld temperatures. In the summer of 2022, he interned with Hafer Design in the mechanical engineering department. While there, he compiled HVAC and plumbing floor plans in Revit and CAD for a local hospital, conducted shop drawing mark-ups, and aided in airflow calculations for various company projects. During his freshman year, he was involved in EPICS where he helped create an exhibit for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum with the goal of teaching visitors about the inner workings of Indycars. At Purdue, Joel leads in Cru campus ministry and is a member of the Paint Crew. You can catch him showing up way too early for all the home Purdue basketball games. In his free time, he also enjoys playing lacrosse, playing the piano, listening to music, and hammocking.
Matteo Gobry
Matteo is a Senior from Mountain View, California. He is involved in Purdue’s Electric Racing team dedicated to designing and manufacturing an electric SAE car as a member of the vehicle dynamics sub-team. And has participated in research in soft robotics under professor Arietta. In summer 2022, he interned at a plastics manufacturing company in France. This past summer, he interned at Virtual Incision, a surgical robotics company, where he aided in various design projects. Last semester, he studied at Universidad Carlos III in Madrid, Spain. Outside of school, Matteo spends his leftover free time working out, going out in nature, and improving his cooking skills.
Michael Brown
	Michael is a senior from Franklin, Tennessee studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Naval Science. Because of his naval obligations through NROTC, he has spent his summers in college on naval ships and submarines learning how to be a better leader and practical applications of the material taught through his courses. Upon graduation in May, Michael will go to Power School for training to be a Submarine Officer. On campus, Michael serves as a mentor for underclassmen, a leader in NROTC, and participates in several other clubs and intramural sports. In the time Michael is away from campus, he enjoys the outdoors, inventing, watching and playing sports, and video/board games.
Nico Stella
Nico is a Senior from Syracuse, New York studying Mechanical Engineering and French. He is working with the PMEA Student Activities committee to help spread interest about Mechanical Engineering and plan department events on campus. He has also instructed ME 199: How Stuff Works, a first-year course where students can tear down and rebuild every-day items to learn how they work. He studied abroad in France during the Spring of 2023, and had an internship at Puget Sound Energy this past summer, working to create energy efficiency solutions for local businesses in the Seattle area. Previously, he had a co-op position at Saab where he worked on radar system designs. On campus, he plays on intramural soccer and volleyball teams, and outside of school, Nico loves to backpack, cycle, and climb.
Noah Donovan
	Noah is a junior from Vincennes, Indiana, studying mechanical engineering with a minor in electrical and computer engineering. This past summer, Noah interned at RoviSys Automation & Information Solutions. At RoviSys, Noah worked as a Systems Engineering Co-op I in their Control Systems Integration division where he coded processes that control manufacturing systems processes and designed interfaces for said processes. In summer of 2022, Noah interned at Southlake Automation. There, he assisted in the design and fabrication of control systems, and development of a conveyor system used with autonomous mobile robots. Outside of PMEA, Noah is a tour guide for the Purdue University office of admissions, a member of Purdue’s Theme Park Engineering & Design Club, and more. Noah enjoys traveling, cooking, playing volleyball, and watching Purdue sports in his free time.
Noah Hughes
Noah Hughes is a Junior in the school of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. Last summer Noah spent his time working on his philosophy minor, and the summer prior he spent his time working at a local company, Pindustry, where he applied his technical skills to repair and maintain bowling and arcade mechanisms. Additionally, he developed his management skills as his job required constant communication between upper management and suppliers. On campus, Noah has experience in the Purdue Space Program, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a Purdue Mechanical Engineering Ambassador, and College Mentors for Kids. In his freetime, Noah enjoys hiking, baking, puzzles, and watching or playing any sport available.
Olivia Zhang
	Olivia is a sophomore from Beijing studying Mechanical Engineering. She is also working toward a minor in Computer Science. Last summer, she participated in Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), worked with Professor Blumenschein in the RAAD Lab, where she designed experiments to model vine robot locomotion through Arduino controls. The research is featured in SURF 2022 promotion video. This coming summer, she will be working as a Product Improvement Engineering Intern at Cummins Inc. And she will also be doing co-op with Daimler Truck North American starting in the Fall. Outside PMEA, Olivia is a Team Leader for Boiler Gold Rush International (BGRi), an Undergraduate Teacher Assistant, and has also been involved in Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS). In her free time, Olivia enjoys dancing, swimming, traveling and meeting new people.
Ongun Ece
Ongun is a senior from Istanbul, Turkey, studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Economics. This past summer, he worked as a Product System Design Engineer Intern at Cummins Inc. where he was involved in mechanical design, structural analysis, and product management for the military team. At Purdue, Ongun has taken several different roles. He was an undergraduate teaching assistant for ENGR132 and ME263, has done research on additive manufacturing and automated robotics, and is a member of ASME, IEEE, and SAE. In his free time, he enjoys playing volleyball, skiing, and traveling.
Sahej Sharma
	Sahej is a senior from Naperville, IL studying Mechanical Engineering. In the summer of 2023, Sahej interned at Kohler Co. on an Advanced Development team, wherein she primarily focused her time on research and design of new and experimental products. Most recently, Sahej interned with the US Nuclear regulatory commission at their headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. Here, she was in a project management position, allowing her to gain experience in federal rulemaking publications as well as communication across working groups. She is a member of the Professional Development committee of PMEA. Outside of this, Sahej is in good standing of the Honors College and a board member of Indian Student Association. She has previously been involved in peer mentoring both through the Honors College as well as through the Women in Engineering Program. Sahej is also a part of the 4+1 BS/MSME program. In her free time, Sahej enjoys reading, listening to music, traveling, and spending time with friends.
Sajon Seaberg
Sajon Seaberg is a junior from Overland Park, Kansas majoring in Mechanical engineering with a certificate in Collaborative Leadership. He has most recently interned with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the summer of 2023 at the Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA as part of the Aeromechanics Branch. While there, he was a member of the Rotorcraft Optimization for the Advancement of Mars eXploration (ROAMX) team, developing the next generation of Mars helicopter rotor blades. He has previously held internships with Titleist and Kiewit in manufacturing and mechanical engineering positions. Outside of PMEA, he’s involved in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and Purdue Space Program (PSP). Sajon is also a Dean’s Engineering Leadership Scholar, Kiewit Engineering Scholar, and ME 290 Mentor. In his free time, he enjoys watching the Kansas City Chiefs and F1, hiking, traveling, and attending Purdue football and basketball games.
Trenner Jones
	Trenner is a senior from Evansville, IN studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Design & Innovation. This summer, he interned with AbbVie as a Facilities Engineering Intern in North Chicago, IL. During his time at AbbVie, he analyzed laboratory HVAC systems and ensured proper documentation of AutoCAD records. Prior to his internship, he was in a five-month-long exchange program where he studied core mechanical engineering classes in Madrid, Spain. Last summer, he interned with Pfizer as a Biotech intern in the Validation Engineering department where he updated drawings of fermentors used in producing drug intermediates and aided in the re-qualification of fermentors and autoclaves. He also interned with Printpack – a food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural packaging company – as an Engineering Intern where he designed an ink-pumping system and implemented a compressed air leak detection program for the site. Trenner is currently the PMEA Student Activities Committee head and is also an instructor for the freshman-level “How Stuff Works” course. In the past, he has been a mentor for sophomores in ME and a member of Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) where he helped orient new students to Purdue as a Team Leader and Team Supervisor. In his free time, Trenner enjoys finding new music, trying local coffee shops, weightlifting, and running.
Won Jun Lee
Won Jun Lee is a junior from Warrenville, Illinois studying Mechanical Engineering. Last summer, he interned with Northrop Grumman as a hardware mechanical design engineering intern. While working with Northrop Grumman, he conducted detailed design through 3D modeling using NX, devised an assembly procedure for an upgraded electro-optics system, and led a product design and concept development of a drone-carried payload case. At Purdue, he is the treasurer of the Boiler Breakers, and a drummer for the Microwave Turntables and for a jazz combo.
Zhao Jiang
	Zhao Jiang is a junior from Manhattan, New York studying Mechanical Engineering. This past summer, he interned with Stellantis at their diecast plant in Kokomo (KCP) as a supervisor over the Toolmakers. Along with his day to day duties of managing the unionized tradesmen and women, he also conducted job safety risk assessments and a Kaizen event. At Purdue Zhao is involved in PMEA as a part of the Student Activities committee organizing events for current ME students. In addition to PMEA, he is also a part of Formula SAE and Engineers Without Borders. In Formula SAE, he is currently designing a steering system for the team’s formula 1 style race car. In Engineers Without Borders, Zhao currently acts as the Construction team’s design lead. Outside of academics and extracurriculars, he really enjoys picking up new hobbies every other week including, but not limited to film photography, crocheting, and tattooing.