Managing Scientist

Biomedical engineering alumna is making medical devices safer. Consultant Melissa Mendoza-Seale, PhD '22, balances clients' needs with life in the lab. Melissa Mendoza-Seale, PhD '22, uses the skills she gained at Binghamton University as a consultant in the biomedical industry. Image Credit: Provided. By Christina Forte '27 July 22, 2026 Melissa Mendoza-Seale, PhD '22, loves the hands-on work she can do in a biomedical engineering lab. So when she graduated from Watson College, she applied primarily to jobs in research. Her career path took her on a different route, though. Today, as a technical consultant, she blends scientific research with expert client support - and she still gets some lab time, too. After receiving her degree from Watson College, Mendoza-Seale worked her way up to senior associate at Exponent, a technical consulting firm that specializes in engineering and science. In her role, she supports medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers as they navigate Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, performs failure analysis of products, and conducts testing according to ASTM standards and International Organization for Standardization guidelines. To put it simply, she's making sure medical devices are up to par. While this wasn't always her plan, she learned that a consulting path would give her the opportunity to branch out from her specific field. In contrast to her graduate school experience where she focused on independent research, Exponent gave her the chance to contribute to scientific and engineering topics outside of her niche without having to completely give up lab work. "We not only provide consulting services and review the landscape of the field for our clients, but we also conduct a lot of the testing and investigations ourselves," Mendoza-Seale says. "That's what really intrigued me about Exponent. When I started applying for full-time positions and going through the long interview process, that was something that made me happy, that I didn't have to stop doing hands-on work." Mendoza-Seale started her academic journey at the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. During her undergraduate and graduate studies, she gained practical experience through co-ops and internships at Johnson & Johnson, Renal Research Institute, and the FDA. Looking back, she considers her time at Binghamton as "fruitful, but difficult." Her research focused on developing a calcific aortic valve disease model under Professor Gretchen Mahler, interim chair for the Department of Biomedical Engineering, to understand how the condition develops over time. Mendoza-Seale carried out her work through the University's Clifford D. Clark Fellowship and a pre-doctoral fellowship with the American Heart Association. However, the transition from academia to technical consulting required a shift in thinking. In grad school, she could set her own research schedule. As a consultant, the key is being efficient while providing great service to clients. "It was a little bit of a challenge at first to switch the mindset from defining your own timeline and goals to being on the client's deadlines and understanding the business model of it all," Mendoza-Seale says. She also highlights the importance of soft skills. Her job isn't just about knowing the most about something - it's being able to communicate ideas clearly and concisely. At Exponent, she uses her technical background alongside the communication skills picked up from her time at Watson. "I was fortunate enough to attend many, many conferences while I was there," Mendoza-Seale says. "And what I loved is that I not only attended academic-driven conferences but also science communication and minority conferences where the focus wasn't just biomedical engineering - it was many other disciplines. It encouraged me to explain my research in a way that was easy for other audiences to understand." As a word of advice to students, she emphasizes communication as a vital part of pursuing a STEM career. "It was immensely helpful for me as a person and as an engineer in my field to be able to explain my work to different audiences," she says. "Unfortunately, financial hurdles are a hindrance, but I always encourage students to try and attend as many conferences in their field, or even outside their field, to expand their network and to be able to communicate their work effectively."

Exponent elevates John Pye to President and Eric Anderson to CFO reporting to Catherine Corrigan, CEO; Rich Schlenker to remain as Executive VP and to stand for election to Board of Directors. April 06, 2026 16:35 ET | Source: Exponent, Inc. MENLO PARK, Calif., April 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Exponent, Inc. (Nasdaq:EXPO), a leading engineering and scientific consulting firm, today announced its appointment of John Pye to President and Eric Anderson to Chief Financial Officer, both effective May 1, 2026 and reporting to Catherine Corrigan, Chief Executive Officer; nomination of Richard Schlenker, Executive Vice President and current Chief Financial Officer to stand for election to the Board of Directors; and the appointment of Karen Richardson as Chairman of the Board upon the retirement of Paul Johnston effective as of the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 4, 2026. Dr. Pye joined Exponent in 1999, was promoted to Principal Engineer in 2006, and held roles of increasing responsibility in the firm including Director of the Test and Engineering Center in Phoenix, Director of the Technology Development Practice, Corporate Vice President, and Group Vice President for the Transportation Group. He has led some of the firm's most technically ambitious and innovative multidisciplinary programs, managed large-scale and category-leading consulting and testing operations, and played a key role in expanding Exponent's work at the intersection of emerging technology, safety, and transformational challenges. In his current role as Vice President of Global Offices and Innovation, John is spearheading growth through the evolution of Exponent's innovation agenda, driving investments in advanced capabilities and strengthening the firm's ability to address increasingly complex client challenges. "John is a visionary leader with deep technical credibility and a keen ability to see around corners - anticipating how accelerating technological change, evolving risk, and heightened scrutiny of safety and performance will create opportunities for growth," said Dr. Corrigan. "He has consistently challenged the firm to think bigger, move faster, and innovate more boldly, while staying grounded in the technical rigor and independence that define Exponent. As we evolve our capabilities and empower our people to solve increasingly complex challenges, John's collaborative leadership style and proven ability to foster a culture of innovation make him exceptionally well suited to lead Exponent into its next stage of growth." "Exponent is uniquely situated at the intersection of science, engineering, and real-world impact, and my vision is to build from this position of strength to accelerate the growth of a firm that leads through periods of rapid change," said Dr. Pye. "By investing in innovation and our people, deepening collaboration across disciplines, and staying relentlessly focused on technical excellence, we will evolve our capabilities to meet our clients' most complex challenges. I am excited to work with our leadership and our people to shape Exponent's future growth." Eric Anderson joined the firm as Controller in 2003, was appointed Vice President in 2013, and has served as Vice President of Finance and Accounting since 2024. He brings deep financial and operational expertise to the Chief Financial Officer role, along with a deep understanding of Exponent's business, culture, and diversified portfolio of work. He has extensive experience in financial planning and analysis, regulatory compliance, risk management, and forecasting, and has been instrumental in strengthening Exponent's financial processes and upholding the firm's commitment to the highest ethical standards in financial reporting. Richard Schlenker, Exponent's current Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, effective May 1, 2026, will cease in his role as Chief Financial Officer, but continue in his role as Executive Vice President. "Eric's appointment reflects both his exceptional technical capabilities and the high level of trust he has earned across Exponent," said Dr. Corrigan. "He combines rigorous financial discipline with a deep understanding of our strategy and operations, and he has consistently demonstrated sound judgment, integrity, and a collaborative leadership style. I am confident he will be a strong partner as we continue to execute our long-term growth strategy." Dr. Paul Johnston, Chairman of the Board and former CEO, will retire from the Board effective as of the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 4, 2026. Karen Richardson, currently the Lead Independent Director, has been appointed to serve as the Chairman of the Board at that time. In addition, the Board has approved the nomination of Richard Schlenker, Executive Vice President and current Chief Financial Officer, to stand for election as a Director. "Paul's leadership and vision of excellence have had a profound impact on Exponent over his 45-year tenure with the firm," said Dr. Corrigan. "On a personal level, Paul has been an incredibly impactful mentor to both John and me and to so many leaders across the firm. I am immensely grateful for his lasting contributions, and I am confident in the continued strength of the Board under Karen's leadership and with the addition of Rich's deep financial expertise, sound judgment, and strong enterprise perspective." "On behalf of the Board and the entire firm, we thank Paul for his immeasurable contributions to Exponent," said Ms. Richardson. "I am honored to take on the role of Chairman and look forward to continuing to build on the strong foundation Paul helped establish." "I am fully supportive of these leadership appointments and deeply confident in the direction they set for Exponent," said Dr. Johnston. "John Pye brings exceptional vision, technical depth, and an unwavering commitment to innovation as President, while Eric Anderson provides the financial discipline, judgment, and operational insight essential to sustaining Exponent's long-term growth. I am equally pleased to see Karen Richardson assume the role of Chairman of the Board; her experience, integrity, and understanding of Exponent's culture will serve the firm and its stockholders extremely well. Finally, I welcome the nomination of Rich Schlenker to the Board of Directors, where his deep institutional knowledge and strategic perspective will be invaluable. Together, this team reflects Exponent's strong leadership bench and positions the firm exceptionally well for its next chapter." About Exponent Exponent brings together 90+ technical disciplines and 950+ consultants to help our clients navigate the increasing complexity of more than a dozen industries, connecting decades of pioneering work in failure analysis to develop solutions for a safer, healthier, more sustainable world. Exponent's consultants deliver the highest value by leveraging multidisciplinary expertise and resources from across Exponent's offices in North America, Asia, and Europe. Exponent's consultants, laboratories, databases, and computing resources work seamlessly together around the globe, enabling us to produce the breakthrough insights needed to help multinational companies, startups, law firms, insurance companies, governments, and society respond to incidents and push their products and processes forward. Exponent may be reached at (888) 656-EXPO, [email protected], or www.exponent.com. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains, and incorporates by reference, certain "forward-looking" statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and the rules promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) that are based on the beliefs of the Company's management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company's management. When used in this document and in the documents incorporated herein by reference, the words "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company or its management with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such material differences include the possibility that the demand for our services may decline as a result of changes in generally applicable and industry-specific economic conditions, the timing of engagements for our services, the effects of competitive services and pricing, the absence of backlog related to our business, our ability to attract and retain key employees, the effect of tort reform and government regulation on our business, and liabilities resulting from claims made against us. Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the report. The inclusion of such forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the future events, plans, or expectations contemplated by the Company will be achieved. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such forward-looking statements.