4 OPP TAs named as Golden Hammer Award recipients
Please join us in congratulating 4 of our Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in Indianapolis for being recipients of the Golden Hammer Award!
The Golden Hammer is awarded to 20 undergraduate students that exemplify Purdue's pillars of integrity, respect, honor, innovation, and growth.
Chinwendu Ayogu
Electrical Engineering | 2025 Golden Hammer Awardee
Chinwendu Ayogu is an aspiring electrical engineer currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. Passionate about innovation and driven by a commitment to excellence, Chinwendu has taken on multiple leadership roles, including serving as the President of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Student Society (ECESS) for the 2024-2025 academic year. In addition, he is the Deputy Chief of Staff for Purdue Student Government, Secretary of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), a Trio SS Math Tutor, and a Teaching Assistant (TA).
This spring, Chinwendu was the recipient of an academic award at the 50th Annual Purdue Black Caucus of Faculty & Staff (BCFS) Academic and Service Awards Program. He was also named one of the Top 25 Emerging Tech Leaders of the Year at the 2025 Mira Awards. This summer, Chinwendu will intern at Applied Engineering Services, where he will work alongside electrical design engineers.
Nakul Sharma
Mechanical Engineering | 2025 Golden Hammer Awardee
Nakul Sharma is a senior in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Originally from Mumbai, India, Nakul came to Purdue University to pursue his bachelor's degree. During the summer of 2024, he interned with Eli Lilly as a Design Engineer in their parenteral facilities utilities space. He also has two previous internships in India.
At his summer internship with Eli Lilly, Nakul worked with Engineering drawings specifically Piping and Instrumentation Drawings and Process Flow Diagrams and developed new drawings for one of Eli Lilly's upcoming building in their campus. He will be joining full-time at Eli Lilly upon his graduation this May.
Prior to this role on campus, Nakul served as the Desk Manager for housing at IUPUI, where he supervised desk assistants and supported the housing and residence life team. He was also a part of the Undergraduate Student Government where he represented an Indian Cultural Campus student organization called DesiJags.
Pearl-Marie Andoh
Biomedical Engineering | 2025 Golden Hammer Innovation Awardee
Pearl-Marie is a senior studying Biomedical Engineering, with a diverse background in internships and research. She has worked as a Research Intern at the IU School of Medicine and as an Engineering Intern at Eli Lilly and Company. Additionally, she participated in the (IN)SCRIBE Program through the Biomedical Engineering Department. Currently, she serves as a Resident Assistant (RA) at North Hall.
Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Pearl-Marie is deeply involved with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), where she holds the position of President. Her past roles include serving as a student mentor, teaching assistant, and research assistant, reflecting her dedication to supporting and uplifting others.
Haylie Rayl
Computer Engineering | 2025 Golden Hammer Awardee
Haylie is a senior in Computer Engineering with a background in both technical and leadership roles. She has completed two internships: as an Engineering Intern with Endress+Hauser (Summer 2023) and as a Software Engineering Intern with Trane Technologies (Summer 2024). Haylie also serves as an undergraduate teaching assistant for ECE 362 and OPP’s ENGR 10301 course. She was awarded the 2024 Maxwell Scholarship for Women in Computing & Engineering, which recognizes and supports women pursuing higher education in computing and engineering fields.
In addition to her academic and professional pursuits, Haylie is involved in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), where she holds the position of Outreach Director at Purdue Indianapolis. In the previous year, she has contributed to undergraduate research and provided auxiliary aid.
