About Purdue SWE
Mission Statement
Empower women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering and technology professions as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion.
History
In 1954, five years after the first meeting of the National Society of Women Engineers, the Purdue student section of the Society of Women Engineers was incorporated. At that time there were approximately 20 members. In 1967 the first SWE scholarship at Purdue University was established. This scholarship and many others have since been awarded every year at the SWE Awards Program which was first held in 1973. In 1974, Purdue SWE was the first organization to enter a kart into the Purdue Grand Prix race with an all female crew and driver.
Purdue has had a significant role in the national SWE organization. It is the oldest continuously chartered SWE section in the country. The Purdue section has won the best section in Region H more than 10 times. In 2007, it won 2nd place for best student section in the nation, and in 2008, it won a Gold Level of the Outstanding Collegiate Section Award. Today, PSWE is composed of over 600 men and women members, making it one of the largest student organizations at Purdue, and one of the largest SWE collegiate sections in the country. Purdue alumnae have served as National SWE presidents, SWE fellows, board members, regional officers, and national officers. The success of Purdue SWE has been engraved in history and will continue to thrive in years to come.
Events & Committees
We host over fifty events in professional development, outreach, technical teams, and socials. These range from networking with company representatives, career fairs, hosting prospective high school seniors, teaching elementary school kids about stem, building and racing karts in the annual Purdue Grand Prix, and creating mentorship pairs between members. We have 3 technical design teams open to all members to join and grow their CAD, researching, and design skills, as well as, committees to help plan outreach and professional development events.
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Our Four Pillars
About National SWE
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders.
By becoming a collegiate member of Purdue SWE, you become a member of National SWE. We are offering several C2C collegiate scholarships for PSWE members, please submit an application here.