Whether it is Aerospace, Automotives or MedTech, seemingly small engineering decisions can ultimately influence the safety and quality of products that improve our lives !
Shwetha Mahadevappa, our next pathbreaker, Senior Engineer – Risk Management at BD (Arizona), works on medial devices, contributing to advancements in quality of healthcare.
Shwetha talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about how her engineering career led her to aeronautical engineering, specializing in materials and system design, working in automotive simulation, and later moving into MedTech quality and risk management.
For students, seek opportunities actively. Write to professors. Apply for internships. Attend technical events. Ask for feedback. Many people will not respond, and some opportunities will not work out. That is normal. One meaningful response can still change the direction of your career.
Shwetha, tell us about your background?
I grew up in Anekal, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, in a community where higher education was not always considered an obvious path for girls. I came from a family without an academic or engineering background, so I did not have someone at home who could explain entrance examinations, engineering branches, internships, or career opportunities. Much of my journey began with observation, curiosity, and a willingness to ask questions.
One of my earliest memories is watching girls at my school receive awards for academic excellence. I remember looking at them and thinking, “Perhaps one day, that could be me.” It was a small moment, but it gave me something important: a picture of what was possible.
As I grew older, I became fascinated by the story of Kalpana Chawla. Until then, engineering felt distant from my everyday world. Her story showed me that someone from India could enter one of the most demanding scientific fields and reach beyond every boundary placed before her. That realization inspired me to study aeronautical engineering, even though it was an unconventional choice for someone from my background.
At that age, I did not have a detailed career plan. I simply wanted to learn, become independent, and create opportunities that did not already exist around me. What I could not have imagined then was that this curiosity would eventually take me across three highly demanding industries—aerospace, automotive, and medical technology—working on projects ranging from India’s indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas and global automotive systems to medical devices that support patient care around the world. Today, as a mechanical engineer based in Arizona, USA, I look back and realize that every step of that journey began with a simple belief: education could open doors far beyond the ones I could see at the time.
What did you study?
I completed my bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University. I later earned a Master of Technology in Materials and Systems Engineering Design from National Institute of Technology Warangal, graduating with distinction.
How did you enter such an unusual career?
During the final year of my undergraduate studies, aircraft still felt almost magical to me. I had learned the theories of aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and stability, but I wanted to know what happened when those equations left the classroom. Could something I helped calculate, draw, or design actually rise from the ground?
That curiosity led me to the Indian Institute of Science. I did not arrive with an impressive professional network or a clear roadmap. I was simply a student looking for an opportunity to learn. I reached out to Professor S. N. Omkar and was fortunate to receive an internship involving the design and development of a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Working on the UAV taught me that engineering begins long before a finished product exists. It begins with questions. What should the aircraft do? How long should it fly? How stable should it be? What material should be used? How do we know the design will work outside a computer model?
It was the first time I saw equations and drawings turn into a physical system. It also taught me a lesson that has stayed with me: opportunities are rarely delivered in perfect form. Sometimes we must first identify what we want to learn, approach people respectfully, and accept the possibility of rejection.
That early work opened the door to the Aeronautical Development Agency, where I contributed to flight flutter testing and operational flight-envelope clearance for India’s Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas. The work required careful analysis because aircraft safety depends on understanding how structural and aerodynamic forces interact during flight.
As a young engineer, it was humbling to contribute to a program of national importance. More importantly, it taught me that safety-critical engineering leaves little room for assumptions. Every conclusion must be supported by evidence.
Why did you move from aerospace into mechanical and materials engineering?
Many people assume a career progresses in a straight line. Mine certainly didn’t. Looking back, my career resembles a river more than a straight road. It changed direction many times, but every turn carried me forward.
Aerospace was my first love. After studying aeronautical engineering and working on aircraft-related projects, I imagined I would spend my entire career in that field. However, as I started exploring opportunities, I realized that the path ahead was not as straightforward as I had expected. Instead of seeing that as a setback, I chose to see it as an opportunity to broaden my horizons.
I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Materials and Systems Engineering Design at the National Institute of Technology Warangal. Looking back, it was one of the most important decisions I ever made. That experience taught me to look beyond a single discipline and appreciate how materials, design, manufacturing, analysis, and performance all come together to solve real-world problems.
During my master’s studies, I had the opportunity to work with researchers at the Indian Institute of Science on advanced aerospace materials and structures. The work focused on improving aircraft safety through lightweight and high-performance composite materials. While the project was rooted in aerospace, it fundamentally changed how I thought as an engineer. I learned that great engineering is not about becoming attached to a specific industry; it is about developing the ability to understand problems deeply and applying your knowledge wherever it can create value.
That realization ultimately opened doors I never expected. The knowledge and systems-thinking skills I developed during my master’s degree later allowed me to transition successfully into automotive engineering, medical technology, product development, quality, and risk management. What initially seemed like a change in direction turned out to be the foundation that enabled the rest of my career.
Today, I often tell students not to be afraid of changing courses. Sometimes the opportunities that shape your future don’t come from staying on the path you originally imagined, but from being willing to explore a new one.
How did you move into the automotive industry?
After completing my master’s degree, I joined Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions as a computer-aided engineering analyst.
Moving from aircraft to automotive components initially felt like starting over. The products were different, the pace was different, and the customer expectations were different. But the underlying engineering questions were familiar: Will the component withstand the expected force? Where might it fail? Can it be made lighter without compromising safety?
My work involved performing simulations and design analysis for critical automotive components such as accelerator pedals, adapters, and bayonet connectors used by some of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Ford, General Motors, Tesla, Toyota, Volvo, and Jaguar Land Rover.
This experience taught me that engineering principles are transferable. A meaningful career is not built only by knowing one product. It is built by learning how to approach new problems.
You later experienced a major career interruption. What happened?
After working in aerospace, research, and automotive engineering, I took a two-year career break to care for my newborn son.
On paper, it looks like a simple gap in a resume. In reality, it was one of the most challenging periods of my professional life. While I was grateful for the time with my family, I often wondered whether the industry had moved ahead without me. Technology was evolving quickly, and I questioned whether employers would still value my experience after such a long absence.
When I decided to return, I approached it with the mindset of a student. I refreshed technical concepts, learned new tools, prepared extensively for interviews, and, most importantly, rebuilt my confidence. The journey taught me that a career break may pause your work experience, but it does not erase your skills or potential. Instead, it can strengthen qualities like resilience, patience, adaptability, and perspective.
One lesson from that period stands out more than any technical skill: the importance of relationships. Like many professionals returning after a career break, I submitted countless applications and received very few responses. Most seemed to disappear into a void. The opportunities that eventually moved forward came through people who knew my work, trusted my abilities, and were willing to refer or recommend me. Friends, former colleagues, mentors, and professional connections helped reopen doors that otherwise might have remained closed. That experience taught me that networking is not about collecting contacts; it is about building genuine relationships long before you need help.
Even then, the journey was not smooth. I remember interviewing with Honeywell, a company many aerospace engineers dream of joining. I wanted the opportunity so badly that I convinced myself my future depended on it. The pressure I put on myself made me nervous, and I did not perform as well as I could have. Looking back, that experience taught me an important lesson: interviews are conversations, not verdicts on your worth. When I later interviewed at Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), I approached it differently. Instead of focusing on the outcome, I focused on having a genuine conversation about my experiences and what I could contribute. Ironically, that became one of the best interviews of my career.
Eventually, after months of uncertainty, I was given an opportunity at BD in Bengaluru as a Design Engineer. I remain grateful to the leaders who looked beyond the gap in my resume and saw my potential. That opportunity became the turning point that restarted my career and ultimately opened doors to global opportunities, leadership roles and innovation.
Looking back, one lesson stands out: a pause does not have to become an ending. Sometimes the setbacks we fear the most become the experiences that prepare us for our next chapter.
What was it like transitioning into medical technology?
I had once wanted to become a doctor because I admired the ability to help patients recover. Life led me into engineering instead. At BD, I realized that engineering could still connect me to that original purpose.
Medical devices may not be as visible as doctors or nurses, but they quietly support millions of patient interactions every day. Patients may never know the names of the engineers behind them, yet those devices must work reliably when people are most vulnerable.
At BD, I worked across infusion therapy, oncology drug-delivery systems, breast biopsy devices, and medication management platforms. My role spanned new product development, sustaining engineering, material qualification, design controls, verification and validation, test method development, and risk management. Some projects focused on bringing new products to market, while others ensured that existing devices remained safe, reliable, and available to healthcare providers around the world.
What fascinated me most was realizing that innovation is not always about creating something entirely new. Sometimes it is improving a test method, strengthening a design, qualifying an alternate material, or identifying a risk before it reaches a patient. Those seemingly small engineering decisions can ultimately influence the safety and quality of care delivered in hospitals every day.
That realization transformed my view of engineering. I was no longer simply developing products. I was contributing to patient safety and healthcare outcomes, one engineering decision at a time.
What changed when you relocated to the United States?
Moving to the United States was both exciting and intimidating. On paper, it looked like an internal transfer within the same company. In reality, it felt like starting over. I was leaving behind familiar surroundings, adapting to a new culture, and stepping into an environment where communication styles, workplace expectations, and even definitions of success felt different.
Like many immigrants, I carried a lot of uncertainty. Would I fit in? Could I build a meaningful career here? What if things didn’t work out as planned? Over time, I learned that confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from being willing to learn, adapt, and keep moving forward despite not knowing exactly how everything will unfold.
Professionally, I joined Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) in Arizona as an R&D Engineer supporting breast biopsy devices used in cancer diagnosis. I worked on product development, manufacturing transfers, design verification and validation, portfolio simplification, and cross-functional problem solving across global teams. One of the most valuable lessons from that experience was seeing how engineering truly operates on a global scale. A design might originate in one country, be manufactured in another, and ultimately help patients around the world.
The move taught me far more than technical skills. It taught me adaptability, humility, and the importance of stepping outside my comfort zone. Looking back, relocating to the U.S. reinforced a lesson that has guided much of my life: you do not need to have everything figured out before taking a leap. Sometimes growth happens while you are figuring things out along the way.
Why did you transition from R&D into Quality and Risk Management?
I wanted to understand the medical-device lifecycle more completely.
In R&D, I had learned how products are designed, verified, validated, transferred, and sustained. Risk management offered a broader question: How do we anticipate potential harm across the entire lifecycle and ensure that appropriate controls remain effective?
I transitioned into a Senior Quality Engineer role supporting risk management for automated medication-dispensing systems. Shortly after I joined, the product area was responding to an FDA Warning Letter. I entered a role where the expectations were high, the timelines were tight, and many documents and teams were interconnected.
At first, the scale of the remediation was intimidating. I had to quickly learn a complex product ecosystem while contributing to a high-priority enterprise initiative. I became part of a cross-functional effort to strengthen the product’s risk management framework by improving traceability between hazards, risk controls, verification evidence, complaints, and post-market learnings. Through this work, I helped transform fragmented risk documentation into a more unified, scalable, and future-ready system that strengthened compliance, improved decision-making, and ultimately supported safer outcomes for healthcare providers and patients
The experience changed how I saw engineering. A good engineer asks, “Will this design work?” A risk-management engineer must also ask, “How could it fail? Who could be affected? Have we reduced the risk sufficiently? What evidence supports our conclusion?”
That habit of thinking beyond intended performance is one of the most important responsibilities in medical technology.
What skills are essential in your current work?
Technical knowledge is important, but it is only one part of the job.
Risk management requires systems thinking. A small software, hardware, labeling, manufacturing, or usability issue can affect the larger product and the people using it. It also requires curiosity, because the first explanation is not always the complete explanation.
Communication is equally important. Engineers must explain complex risks to people from different disciplines. A productive discussion depends not only on having the right analysis, but also on helping others understand the reasoning behind it.
Another important skill is the courage to ask difficult questions. In safety-related work, remaining silent because a question feels uncomfortable can carry greater consequences than speaking up respectfully.
Finally, the work requires humility. No individual understands every aspect of a complex medical device. Strong decisions emerge when engineering, medical affairs, software, hardware, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, and human-factors perspectives are brought together.
How does your work benefit society?
Medical-device engineers rarely meet the patients affected by their work, but that distance does not reduce the responsibility.
A safer infusion product can help ensure dependable treatment. A secure closed-system drug-transfer connection can reduce the possibility of healthcare workers being exposed to hazardous medications. A reliable biopsy device can support timely cancer diagnosis. A well-designed medication-dispensing system can help clinicians obtain the correct medication when it is needed. A strong risk-management framework can identify potential harm before it reaches a patient.
I have also contributed to patented and published concepts involving elapsed-time indicators for disposable medical devices and safer connections for oncology drug-transfer systems. My patent-related work has received recognition from the Society of Women Engineers.
I view patents and awards as encouraging milestones, but they are not the final purpose. An idea becomes meaningful when it helps solve a real problem or encourages someone else to develop a better solution.
What work is especially close to your heart?
The work closest to my heart is not a patent, a product launch, or a promotion. It is helping someone else discover what they are capable of.
Throughout my career, I have benefited from people who took a chance on me, whether it was a professor who opened a door, a manager who believed in my potential after a career break, or a mentor who offered guidance when I needed it most. Because of that, I have always felt a responsibility to pay it forward.
At BD, I became involved in initiatives focused on developing people, not just products. Through the Women Initiative Network (WIN) and Asian Associate Resource Group (ARG), I helped create programs that encouraged women and early-career professionals to build confidence, develop leadership skills, expand their networks, and take ownership of their careers. Many of these initiatives eventually reached hundreds of associates across different locations.
I have also remained actively involved with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) through mentoring, judging, outreach, and professional-development activities. Outside the workplace, I have had the opportunity to work with more than a thousand students across India and the United States through STEM workshops, classroom programs, and mentoring sessions, helping them see engineering as a possibility for themselves.
Perhaps this work feels so personal because I still remember being a student myself, looking for examples of people who had walked the path before me. If I can help even one person gain confidence, discover an opportunity, or pursue a dream they once thought was beyond their reach, I consider that among the most meaningful contributions I can make.
What advice would you give students?
First, do not wait to feel completely ready. Readiness often develops only after we begin.
Second, do not assume that one academic decision determines your entire life. I studied aeronautical engineering, specialized in materials and system design, worked in automotive simulation, entered medical-device R&D, and later moved into quality and risk management. Every stage contributed something valuable.
Third, learn the fundamentals. Software tools and technologies will change, but the ability to understand a problem, test assumptions, interpret evidence, and communicate clearly will remain useful.
Fourth, seek opportunities actively. Write to professors. Apply for internships. Attend technical events. Ask for feedback. Many people will not respond, and some opportunities will not work out. That is normal. One meaningful response can still change the direction of your career.
Fifth, do not treat a setback as a final verdict. A rejection, a career break, a difficult relocation, or an unexpected change may alter the route, but it does not have to cancel the destination.
Finally, remember that success is not only a title, salary, patent, or award. Success is also the person you become while learning, the people you help along the way, and the problems you choose to solve.
What are your future plans?
I hope to continue growing at the intersection of medical-device innovation, patient safety, and risk management while helping develop technologies that make healthcare safer and more reliable.
Equally important to me is mentoring students and early-career professionals. Throughout my journey, I have learned that success is rarely a straight path. My career has crossed industries, countries, career breaks, and moments of uncertainty, yet each experience prepared me for the next opportunity.
If there is one message, I hope students take from my story, it is this:
You do not need to have everything figured out before taking the first step. Stay curious, keep learning, and do not be afraid to change direction when new opportunities appear. The most meaningful journeys are often the ones we never planned, but grow into along the way.