Ella Richardson

What are you are studying/what you are interested in studying and/or researching while at Purdue? If you have done internships or other applicable experiences, feel free to include them here.

I am studying mechanical engineering at Purdue University. Over the summer, I was a visiting scholar at the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME). Through this experience, I learned that I am interested in design and project management which I can carry with me into the space industry.

What made you want to join the Leading Women Toward Space Careers program?

I wanted to join the Leading Women Towards Space Careers Program because I have always been interested in space exploration and wanted to learn about all the opportunities for work in the space industry. I love hearing about the large variety of career paths within this focus and was excited about the opportunity to engage with professionals in the field and dive into Purdue’s unique history with space.

What area would you like to work in after graduation? (What career path, interests, opportunities, etc., would you like to accomplish? What field are you interested in?)

After graduation, I would love to work in human space exploration. With the upcoming Artemis missions returning humans to the moon, I am excited about what the future holds for human spaceflight. I would love to eventually work on missions to Mars and provide astronauts the tools they need to study and survive in space.