Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2024
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Arizona, 2019
Professional Honors
  • W.A. Franke Honors College Thesis Award, 2019
  • University of Arizona Wildcat Excellence Full Tuition Scholarship, 2015-2019
  • Society of Mining Engineers Intern Merit Scholarship, 2017
Professional Affiliations
  • American institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
  • National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  • American Chemical Society (ACS)

As an Associate in the Thermal Sciences Practice, Dr. Schroeder integrates her expertise in chemical engineering, chemistry, and material science to address a broad spectrum of challenges. Her work encompasses root cause analysis, process safety and hazard analysis, consumer product research and development, and incident investigations involving reactive materials, chemical processes, fires, and explosions.

Before joining Exponent, Dr. Schroeder earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her doctoral studies, she specialized in heterogeneous catalysis and reaction engineering. Her experimental research included catalyst synthesis, characterization, and stability testing under reaction conditions, with applications focused on converting greenhouse gases into fuels and chemicals. This work honed her expertise in thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and reaction kinetics. She also led a large collaborative Department of Energy project, serving as the primary researcher responsible for coordinating experiments and communicating results across multiple universities, national laboratories, and industrial partners.

Dr. Schroeder's academic training is complemented by practical experience gained through four internships across diverse industries. As an Environmental Engineer at Freeport-McMoRan's Morenci copper mine, she applied regulatory standards to mitigate environmental impact. At PepsiCo, she worked as a Supply Chain Engineer, optimizing heat exchanger and cooling tunnel performance and implementing leak detection procedures to reduce process waste. At XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, she gained experience as a Facilities Engineer, managing a pilot plant project to capture and utilize flare gas at remote well pads using cryogenic compression technologies. Finally, during a Ph.D. residency at Google's moonshot factory, she conducted technoeconomic analysis and scale-up of multiphase reactors for sustainable chemical processes.

Dr. Schroeder's combination of academic achievements and industry experience underscores her ability to apply fundamental principles to solve complex problems within Exponent's Thermal Sciences Practice.