Andrea Acuña

During my Ph.D., I was fascinated with answering questions like, how does nature put tissues together? What are the muscular systems and mechanics behind that? While I was initially happy focusing on a singular project, towards the middle-to-end of my time at Purdue University, I became curious about what stimulating opportunities might be available to me beyond traditional research and academic work. 

Consulting is an Exciting Career Path

I first learned about Exponent during the second year of my Ph.D. There was an advisory board meeting, and an alumnus who worked at Exponent was in attendance. My research was in soft tissue biomechanics, and I started the conversation early on with Exponent. 

I didn't really know that science and engineering consulting was an option for someone with my background. But I liked the idea of working on different projects and with different people. The variety of work captured my interest.  

Now, I'm an associate in the Biomedical Engineering & Sciences practice. I frequently collaborate with experts in materials and corrosion engineering, data science, and health sciences, so my colleagues are located around the country, from Philadelphia to Natick to Austin. 

I recently worked on a great project in the women's health space where we designed mechanical testing methods to evaluate products from a mechanical standpoint. We started with ideas in PowerPoint, created drawings, 3D printed them, machined components, and refined our process along the way. We asked questions like, how is this component going to work with the method we're recommending to the client? How does this product stack up against our client's competitors? There's always something new here; it keeps work interesting and stimulating.  

No two days are the same at Exponent.

Shorter Timelines, Big World Impact

During my grad school research, I found that it required patience and time before you could see the impact of your work. The timelines can be long for the science, research, and development of a product to finally reach a patient in the real world. Plus, when you're working in the research field, there's no guarantee the product or component you're working on will ever hit the market.  

At Exponent, it's different. Whether it's a problem, system, or method we're aiming to solve, we're making things better on a much faster time scale. We give our opinions as scientists and engineers so that something can be improved upon down the line. It's extremely rewarding to see how our Exponent team comes together with our expertise, how clients apply our insights and improve a product, and then how people interact with it in real time. It's one of the best parts of my job. 

Our Multidisciplinary Expertise

We're in a unique position as a firm because we bring people together from different practices. Our consultants can see problems from many perspectives. Together, we identify trends and create insights for our clients; all because we have a diverse, bird's-eye view of countless projects and products.  

Another great thing about Exponent is the organic collaboration, networking, and connection that occurs in our labs. It's a place where exciting things happen, like mechanical testing, battery testing, and CT scanning. You can hear what people are working on and the problems they're aiming to solve. It's such a great way to meet people and learn about their areas of expertise.  

We Support Each Other

You really can take your career any direction you want to go here. I've certainly found that, on my team, there's wide support for professional development and growth. I had heard this fact about the company before I joined, and I've really found it to be true; we all want to help each other. There's always someone ready to jump in. My supervisor checks in, and communication is very open. I feel that on my team and in the firm.  

You don't have to be a certain way to be included or welcome here. You can be you.

I've also noticed that with the teams I work with, everyone seems to show up authentically to who they are. We have a pretty diverse team in biomedical engineering. We also have quarterly DEI workshops. For example, we recently had sessions on age bias and gender bias. Each session was followed by an open team discussion where we had a valuable conversation. Those moments have helped open the door for talking with each other in a respectful, productive and everyone-feels-heard-and-seen way.  

There's also flexibility with this job that allows for work-life balance. I come to the office most days of the week and work remotely the other days. In my spare time, I love doing art, whether it's painting with acrylics, using pastels or drawing. I also like to run, and being in the San Francisco Bay area, there's so much to see and do: hiking, visiting the coast and more. It's a great place to be.