Title: Visiting Assistant Professor
Company: School of Engineering Technology, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University
Education: PhD in Engineering Technology, Purdue University (2024); MS in Engineering Technology, Purdue University (2019); BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology, Purdue University (2018)
Career History: Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Engineering Technology, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (2024-Present); Graduate Assistant, Technical Assistance Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (2017-2024)
Devon J. Pessler, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor at Purdue University, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of engineering.
Dr. Pessler prepared for her accomplished career at Purdue’s School of Engineering Technology, where she earned a Bachelor of Science, a master’s, and ultimately a PhD in engineering technology. While pursuing these degrees, she served as a graduate assistant within the university’s technical assistance program from 2017 to 2024. In this role, she was active as a student engineering consultant for up to 40 Indiana businesses and manufacturers across 50 projects, ultimately winning an Industrial Engagement Excellence Award for helping the Indiana manufacturing industry save $4 million over seven years through her proposed solutions.
Upon completing her PhD, with a focus on material selection for acoustic guitar soundboards, Dr. Pessler joined the faculty of her alma mater in 2024. She excels as a visiting assistant professor in the School of Engineering Technology within Purdue Polytechnic, where she teaches a mechanical design course and oversees lab sections for the introduction to engineering technology course. In addition, she’s active as a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and as a co-faculty advisor and mentor for the student chapter of the organization at Purdue. As a testament to her leadership, the group recently won the inaugural Society Chapter of the Year award and was honored at a gala in early May.
Attributing her success to her ability to seize and recognize opportunities, Dr. Pessler has always been able to identify valuable opportunities for personal growth and has had the knowledge to find success in those roles. Looking toward the future, she aspires to become a more established figure in academia, specifically a full-time professor for at least one contract cycle. She currently works with freshmen and sophomores and aspires to extend her support to upper-level undergraduates. Additionally, she plans to continue her involvement with the SME student chapter and increase her prominence within both the national organization and the professional chapter.
Outside of her primary endeavors, Dr. Pessler enjoys working out and staying active, be it taking her dogs for walks or going to a CrossFit gym. She also has a passion for travel, having journeyed cross-country multiple times between California and Indiana, enjoying the opportunity to see states she never expected to visit. She also loves traveling internationally, finding the experience wonderful and enriching.