RIT/NTID alum Kayley Judd ’25 demonstrated notable achievements throughout her academic journey. Judd was a student leader who advocated for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, served as a mentor for fellow students, and organized STEM-related events and conferences to inspire the next generation of engineers and empower women.
Originally from Vancouver, Washington, she transferred from a community college to RIT to pursue STEM education with the aspiration of becoming an engineer. She enrolled in the RIT College of Engineering Technology combined degree program in mechanical engineering technology and manufacturing and mechanical system integration.
During her time at RIT/NTID, Judd established N.E.R.D. Girls in STEM, a club focused on supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing female students in STEM. She also served as a chairperson for the Deaf in STEM Conference with the mission of providing deaf and hard-of-hearing students a platform to develop soft skills, create networking opportunities, and build connections with deaf and hard-of-hearing professional in STEM fields.
While studying at RIT/NTID, she completed two manufacturing internships with Procter & Gamble, a global consumer goods company that manufactures and markets its branded packaged products to consumers worldwide. Due to her academic excellence, leadership and commitment to the RIT/NTID community, Judd received the 2025 NTID Outstanding Graduate Student Award and was selected as the graduate delegate for RIT’s 2025 academic convocation.
After graduating, Judd landed a new job at P&G in Ohio, where she is responsible for developing new packaging to enhance the product performance across P&G’s Fabric Care businesses.
Congratulations on your new job at Procter & Gamble. What is your role there?
Thank you! I am currently a Fabric Care Packaging Engineer at a new plant in Lima, Ohio. In my role, I focus on collaborating with both business and our suppliers to ensure that we receive high-quality materials at the plant and ship out quality products to our consumers. Additionally, I support the validation of future innovations aimed at enhancing consumer usage by ensuring the success criteria for the new materials are being met so they can run through the production line seamlessly. It is an exciting project and opportunity to be involved in.
Why did you choose RIT for college and major in engineering?
RIT has been a dream college of mine since I was a little girl. I respected the college for its involvement in the growth of STEM and the Deaf community there.
As for why I picked engineering, I always said, “I did not find engineering; it found me.” I fell in love with the concept of working on a problem with a team instead of being alone. I love how engineering breaks things down and having the knowledge to understand how things work has always fascinated me.
How did RIT prepare you for your role at P&G?
There are a lot of tools and fundamental engineering skills that were helpful at the College of Engineering Technology. For example, learning manufacturing processes, mechanical concepts, and working in robotics and programmable logic control labs gave me a foundation that I use every day. At the end of the day, it was learning problem-solving and how to think like an engineer that helped me in my current role at P&G.
RIT stands out by its commitment to the continual development of its STEM curriculum to match the current job market, as well as its continued commitment to creating space for growth as students and individuals. Whatever your goal or dream is, RIT has the space for it.
Looking back, how did your involvement in student clubs, organizations, or internships help shape your career path?
Stepping out of my own comfort zone and doing more than just attending school through joining clubs, meeting people, joining organizations like the NTID Regional STEM Center (NRSC), and doing internships at Procter & Gamble, shaped the trajectory of my career path. It was not just stepping out of my comfort zone and wanting a better career for myself, but it was also people who believed in me and supported me by pushing me to be a better engineer. My internships at P&G especially gave me the chance to apply what I was learning and made me more confident stepping into my full-time role after graduation.
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
Building a community at RIT and finding people who share a similar passion for serving the community, which led us to founding the first-ever cross-registered club for women who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in STEM called N.E.R.D.S. in STEM. I also led the first-ever student-led Deaf in STEM Conference, which gave students the platform to develop their soft skills through networking and to learn from those who are currently in the field of STEM and are deaf or hard of hearing.
It has always been instilled in me to make a difference and leave a place better than when I came in for the next person or generation. I am glad that I was able to do that during my time at RIT, and I hope future generations pursuing STEM will have the space to grow as I did.
What advice do you have for current or prospective students who want to pursue a career in STEM or aspire to become an engineer?
Get involved. Join the clubs you are interested in, but also try new clubs. Get yourself a good mentor. I would not be where I am if it was not for a group of mentors who helped me grow to be a better engineer, leader, and individual overall. Engineering is not always easy, but resilience and curiosity will take you far.
