Okanmisope Fashanu

I quickly realized that at Exponent, we have this extraordinary range of experience and expertise. A person does not need to do everything by themselves; in fact, one of the things that distinguishes us is our multidisciplinary breadth and depth of expertise. Here, we focus on a collaborative process to meet client needs across all stages of the product lifecycle. 

Advancing Product Safety for Clients and Communities

With the advancement of technology, our world is becoming more complex, and along with that complexity comes an emphasis on whether certain technologies are safe. As a mechanical engineer, I work a lot in root-cause analysis and failure analysis, helping clients investigate the probable reason (or reasons) for product failure. With this knowledge, our clients can improve the functionality and safety of their products, which in turn has a significant effect on consumers and communities.

For a scientist or engineer — like myself — it's a thrill to see client projects through from their inception to the final deliverable.

One deeply gratifying thing about working at Exponent is that projects like these — beginning as discrete analyses of product failure — will often morph into us advising a client on various aspects of the production of that and other products. From production design to evaluating testing processes, to inspecting the manufacturing plant, to evaluating quality management processes, it is our comprehensive involvement and impact that always stands out to me.

Rich and Varied Work 

My dad was a civil engineer, and as children my brother and I, through him, had a lot of exposure to his work and civil engineering in general. On weekends, he would take us to his construction job sites, and those experiences certainly had an impact on my career choice. Eventually, the decision came down to engineering or medicine, and I landed on a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. 

During my Ph.D., I was involved in several industry-funded projects, where it became clear to me that, as a consultant, I would be able to see the results of my work more quickly than I would in academia. I came away from my interview at Exponent with a glimpse of its fast-paced environment — knowing that I would be able to work on new projects every week. This really caught my attention and was a significant factor in choosing the consultant path, particularly at Exponent, over one in academia. The team here has provided me with the tools and resources I need to achieve my career goals.

What I'm most proud of is progress — for myself in my career, for our clients, and for the impact our work in science and engineering has on society.

One of the many fascinating things I do at Exponent is work on intellectual property litigation cases, where a patent is contested or there is an alleged infringement claim. The research involved in assessing the validity of patents invariably points back to general engineering principles. For instance, with product patents that mainly focus on mechanical design and functionality, one must understand the fundamentals of mechanics and engineering. Through the research process, I get to take an expansive view of the technology involved and the science behind it, which is both intellectually stimulating and challenging.