Consulting in Physical Science and Engineering
Monday, April 15th, 2024, 5:30 – 6:30 PM CST (Virtual)
Are you curious about leveraging your technical training to solve advanced engineering and scientific problems? Next week’s What Can I do with My PhD? career seminar will feature professionals in engineering and physical sciences consulting firms who work to address complex scientific and engineering challenges for a wide range of clients. Join our panelists as they discuss what drew them to the field, competencies for success, and ways to use your scientific training to support your entry into science and engineering consulting.
Sajjad Salam, PhD
Senior Engineer, Exponent
Geotechnical Eng.
Penn State, PhD 2020
Sajjad (Saj) Salam, Ph.D., P.E., is a senior engineer in the Exponent Civil Engineering practice. He joined Exponent in 2020 after graduating from Penn State with a Ph.D. in civil engineering. During his doctoral studies, Dr. Salam focused on the seismic stability of tailings dams and the resilience of infrastructure under extreme events. He has published over 15 journal and conference papers on geotechnical engineering topics. Dr. Salam has taught graduate and undergraduate courses during his time in academia. Dr. Salam specializes in computational geomechanics, numerical analysis of geosystems, and big data analysis. He has over 5 years of experience assessing civil and geotechnical engineering applications. He earned a minor in Statistics during his Ph.D. and has used statistical and data science tools in his studies. He utilizes his multidisciplinary background to assist public and private sector clients in assessing damages, determining failure causes, and ultimately enabling them to make informed decisions.
Meredith Seller, PhD
Principal Engineer (Corrosion), Exponent
Chemical Engineering
UIUC, PhD 2011
Dr. Sellers is a Principal Engineer in the Materials & Corrosion Engineering Practice at Exponent, Inc., an engineering and scientific consulting firm. As a Licensed Professional Chemical Engineer, she leverages her expertise to evaluate and investigate failures associated with material properties, processing, and performance. Dr. Sellers obtained her Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Sellers is a long-standing member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) and has led numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in industry and academia over the last 20 years.
Jesse Panger, PhD
Staff Consultant, Engineering Systems
Chemistry
UIUC, PhD 2023
Dr. Panger received his undergraduate degree from UW-Madison working with Prof. Ive Hermans before pursuing doctoral studies with Prof. Scott Denmark at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, Jesse studied Lewis base-catalyzed sulfenium ion transfer reactions as well as selenium redox catalysis. Since graduating in 2023, he has taken a role with Engineering Systems Inc. as a Staff Consultant. Through his consulting work, Jesse fulfills many roles including acting as an expert witness in state and federal trials, conducting non-traditional experiments, and performing forensic investigations.
Laura Merwin, PhD
Associate II, Sargent & Lundy
Ecology
UChicago, PhD 2015
Laura Merwin received her PhD in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Chicago in 2015. She was an Assistant and then Associate Professor at Concordia University Chicago until 2023. At CUC, she taught a wide variety of undergraduate coursework, including introductory and nonmajor courses, upper-level electives for biology majors, and interdisciplinary seminars. Since 2023, Laura has been a technical writer and editor in the Nuclear Power Group at Sargent & Lundy. Research science is still her hobby, and she is a member of a small research collaboration investigating plant ecosystems on industrial slag on Chicago’s far south side.