Melissa Hockstad, 1998 Materials Science and Engineering. President and CEO

What fears or concerns did you have when pivoting, and how did you navigate them?
Like most people, I worried about leaving a career I had trained for and whether I was making a mistake. What gave me confidence was realizing I wasn't leaving my skills behind, rather I was taking them with me. Engineering taught me how to solve problems, think analytically, and communicate complex ideas, and those skills turned out to be incredibly valuable in a completely different career working at trade associations.

For those in completely different industries, how do you articulate your EMS background to colleagues?
I give quick sentence about EMS/materials science and engineering, and in my case say I was originally a “recipe writer” in industry focused on creating new materials that were used in everything from food packaging to parts of a car. Then I tell people EMS taught me how to think, not just what to know. It gave me analytical discipline, intellectual curiosity and confidence to tackle problems I hadn't seen before. Those skills translate to every industry. I also believe those fundamentals continue to prepare students for careers that may not even exist yet.

At what point did your "nonlinear" path start to feel like a strength instead of a detour?
It took me a few years in the trade association world to realize that my engineering background was a competitive advantage. I could understand technical issues, connect with scientists and manufacturers, and translate complex problems for company CEO and executives into practical solutions. Over time, I realized the industries I represented valued someone who understood both the technical side and the business and policy side. What initially felt like a pivot away from my training became the foundation for my leadership career.

How has your definition of "success" changed since you graduated?
Early in my career, success was mostly about achievement such as getting the next role, earning promotions and building expertise. Today, I define success much more by impact and fulfillment. Do I enjoy the work? Am I helping organizations and industries solve meaningful problems? Am I building strong teams and helping other people grow? I also learned that success isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes the best opportunities come from being open to paths you never planned to take.

How did your financial situation shape your ability to pivot, and what would you tell someone who feels financially "stuck" in a career they want to leave?
Financial realities matter, and everyone has different circumstances. I was fortunate that I was relatively early in my career when I made the pivot, so I had fewer financial obligations and a little more flexibility to take a risk. That said, it still felt uncertain because I was leaving a career path I had invested years of education and training into for a field I knew almost nothing about. What I’d tell people is that career pivots don’t always have to be dramatic leaps. Sometimes they’re small, strategic moves that create new options over time. Focus on building transferable skills, growing your network and learning about industries or roles that genuinely interest you. And don’t underestimate the value of talking to people. My pivot started because of one conversation with a friend from undergrad who introduced me to a career I didn’t even know existed.

What is the one question you wish someone had asked you before you made your pivot, and what's the honest answer to it?
I wish someone had asked, "What if this actually works out better than you can imagine?" We spend so much time worrying about what could go wrong that we forget to consider what could go right. Taking that leap led to a career I genuinely love, two CEO opportunities and over 25 years of work in the trade association space that has been incredibly rewarding.
 

How do you know what professional certificates are worth it?
To me the best certificates are tied to either a skill gap you genuinely need to fill or a credential your industry truly values. Early in your career, it’s easy to chase credentials because you think more certificates automatically equal more opportunity. But I’ve found experience, relationships and demonstrated results usually matter more. Before pursuing any certificate, I’d ask: Will this make me better at my job? Will it open doors in the field I want to enter? And are respected people in that industry saying it matters? If the answer is yes, it’s probably worth considering.

Jay M DeFinis is currently a Wealth Management advisor with Northwestern Mutual in Cleveland Ohio. His practice specializes in financial and investment planning for medical and legal professionals, corporate executives, and business owners. He graduated in 1982 with a petroleum and natural gas engineering from the college of earth and mineral sciences. After working for Halliburton services for seven years, he changed careers and used his interpersonal and engineering skills to develop a successful financial planning practice for the past 37 years. Jay served on the Penn State University alumni council and is a past chair of the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences alumni board (GEMS). Jay received the Penn State alumni associations outstanding volunteer of the year award in 1999.

Jay’s volunteer experiences have included serving on the Northwestern Mutual field advisory board (chair, long term care committee, field recruiting committee, and financial planning committee), 25-year member of The Million-Dollar Roundtable and served as trustee for the organization’s foundation board. Jay served on The Cornerstone of Hope, a regional grief support center in Northeast Ohio (development chair and executive committee member for 10 years). Definis, an avid swimmer, also currently is a member of United States Masters Swimming (USMS), served as chair of Swimming saves lives foundation board, and USMS investment committee and Lake Erie Local Masters Swim committee board of directors. Currently, Jay serves nationally on the USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors as Treasurer, working on the organization’s investment committee and audit committee, helping to promote USA swimming’s mission.   

Jay enjoys fun swimming experiences in Lake Erie and northeast Ohio; his love of swimming led him to U.S. Masters swimming as a fitness swimmer and open water distance swimmer and a competitive pool swimmer he is constantly working to improve as a masters swimmer. As a fundraiser DeFinis swam across Lake Erie in 2016 as part of a 6-swimmer relay to raise money for adult learn to swim programs that support USMS adult learn to swim efforts. Jay is also a 1992 Ironman triathlon finisher.  

“Whether we are celebrating our successes, supporting our peers, helping others learn,    improving our ability to succeed, or offering moral or financial support when we struggle, in our communities, together Penn state experiences continue to unite us and helps us care and connect with others and do things we never thought we could."   

When Jay is not working or swimming, his other interests include everything Penn State, improving his piano skills as an adult, and playing the national card game of Germany, SKAT. This August he will be playing with team USA at the world championship in Vienna, Austria.

Ed Yorty graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor's degree in Meteorology and a Minor in Mathematics with the class of 1990.  He completed his freshman year at Texas A&M University, but the pull of the Dear Old State was too strong to resist.  With graduate school at the same financially untenable, Ed considered several options and was recruited for an actuarial position by Cigna Insurance in Philadelphia.  After six years of training and study, and completion of ten examinations, he became a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.  Later education included a Master's degree in Finance from Northeastern University and Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries.  After departing Cigna, Ed worked as a Vice President of Actuarial and Reinsurance for a Maryland Insurer and then as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Actuary for a west coast regional insurer.  In 2011, Ed accepted an offer to become the President and Chief Executive Officer of a mid-sized national insurer, a role he held until "retiring" in 2023.  After retiring, he invested in and worked for a startup insurance organization focused on using parametric insurance solutions for extreme weather risks faced by businesses.  While still involved as an investor in that organization, Ed recently accepted a role as Chief Risk Officer of a multi-billion dollar insurer headquartered in New York.  Ed, his wife Tammy, and dogs Dobby and Jules will be relocating for this new opportunity.

Melissa Hockstad is President and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, representing the makers of America’s food, beverage, household and personal care products. A seasoned association executive with more than 28 years of experience in advocacy, science, regulatory affairs and industry leadership, she previously served as president and CEO of the American Cleaning Institute and held leadership roles at the Plastics Industry Association, SOCMA and LyondellBasell. Hockstad serves on several industry and nonprofit advisory boards and holds engineering degrees from the University of Virginia and Penn State University. She is a recipient of the Association Executive of the Year Award and Penn State’s Materials Science and Engineering Alumna of the Year honor
 

Ms. Wood was born in Erie, PA and grew up in Girard, PA. Ruth Ann is a proud Penn State alumni from the College of EMS, completing both a BS in Ceramic Science and Engineering and MS in Ceramic Science. After Penn State, Ruth Ann began a 15-year career with Ashland Specialty Chemical Company in 1990. Ruth Ann started her career in R&D developing environmentally compatible consumables for the metal casting industry.  She advanced through several positions including product and project management and technical support functions.  Ruth Ann also served in the American Foundry Society (AFS) as chair of the Lost Foam Casting Division.  

In 2004, Ruth Ann married Paul Wood and relocated to Syracuse, NY.  In 2005, Ruth Ann moved into a second career with Pall Corporation in Cortland, NY serving as principal engineer in metal filtration media production.  After two years as Operations Manager at the Pall Cortland plant, she transitioned into Global Engineering Manager role, leading a global design engineering team working on release of new filtration products into the Energy and Machinery & Equipment markets.  In 2017, she was promoted to Director of Technical Shared services in the Energy+ business unit, leading global labs and engineering design.  In 2023, Ruth Ann was promoted to Senior Director in R&D, leading a global team responsible for managing transition and upscale of new products to full manufacturing capability. 

Personally, Ruth Ann is widowed as her husband Paul passed away in 2010 from metastatic ocular melanoma.  Ruth Ann has three grown daughters: Kristy, Katie, and Danielle; and seven beautiful grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, gardening, cooking and scrapbooking.

Ruth Ann is a former member of the College’s GEMS board from 2004 to 2014 and served as board president from 2010 to 2012.  She previously served on the Development Council’s Donor Engagement sub-committee.  She also serves on the Board of Governors at Cortland Country Club in Cortland, NY.  She enjoys mentoring young women with interest in STEM and is supporting scholarships for young women at her high school alma mater, Villa Maria Academy, now Cathedral Preparatory School.

What is your view on Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) or Direct Air Capture, as possible solutions?

I’m happy to see research, but I seriously doubt we will ever do much of it.  Pulling the CO2 out of the air will take a significant fraction of the energy that was released in putting the CO2 into the air, and flue gas is not that much more concentrated or favorable.  Then, the CO2, which is more massive than the original fossil fuel, will have to be put somewhere that doesn’t leak.  Taking out a significant fraction of the CO2 will require an operation that is not that different in scale from the modern fossil fuel industry, which is a few percent of the world economy.  It will bring NIMBY issues, leaks, and the unavoidable fact that some year there will be a big volcanic eruption that puts up particles and blocks the sun, the next year is likely to have unfamiliar frosts that have real costs to people, but CO2 removal will need to continue after that.  I have no confidence that we can complete the political task of paying for it, and maintaining it, in the face of so many headwinds. 

How do we convince others who don’t believe climate change is real?

Keep talking, and emphasizing the good points.  Most Americans are already on board (see https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/ ), with a small but vocal minority controlling the opposition and blocking progress. 

In your opinion, what factors are holding the United States back from transitioning to a more renewable energy future? Do you think the challenge is primarily technological, economic, or sociological?

A little of all of these, but mostly political.  Most Americans are on board to take action (see https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/ ).  But, the opposition is well-organized and well-funded, and efficiently taps into the economic and sociological factors that you reference. Unfortunately, demonizing the opposition rarely works; I do believe that the path is talking, voting, and continuing to emphasize the good things we can do if we build a better future. 

Can you also comment on the role of Negative Emissions Technologies in climate models and our capacity to limit warming to 2C and below.

I’m not too optimistic about negative emissions.  I’ll paste the answer I gave to another question about carbon capture and storage below.  But things such as preserving and regrowing forests, and helping soils, are highly beneficial in their own right, and can help on climate.  1.5 C is almost surely going to happen, and I worry about 2 C, but I think the amazing progress in renewable energy offers hope.  

“I’m happy to see research on carbon capture and storage, but I seriously doubt we will ever do much of it.  Pulling the CO2 out of the air will take a significant fraction of the energy that was released in putting the CO2 into the air, and flue gas is not that much more concentrated or favorable.  Then, the CO2, which is more massive than the original fossil fuel, will have to be put somewhere that doesn’t leak.  Taking out a significant fraction of the CO2 will require an operation that is not that different in scale from the modern fossil fuel industry, which is a few percent of the world economy.  It will bring NIMBY issues, leaks, and the unavoidable fact that some year there will be a big volcanic eruption that puts up particles and blocks the sun, the next year is likely to have unfamiliar frosts that have real costs to people, but CO2 removal will need to continue after that.  I have no confidence that we can complete the political task of paying for it, and maintaining it, in the face of so many headwinds.”   

I work in the Energy Efficiency group of a major EDC here in PA. Where do you Energy Efficiency going moving forward, and what are some of the emerging technologies?

Great!!! You’re a hero. And you’re undoubtedly already highlighting negawatts.  Honestly, that’s the easiest way to gain in the short term. 

Heat pumps with renewables and general electrification are probably the structurally most important way forward.  The report here is absolutely fascinating on the fundamentals of electricity, heat pumps, etc.: https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/reframing-energy-for-the-age-of-electricity/

There’s a version here: https://skepticalscience.com/just-have-a-think-primary-energy.html

But, as you know, there is also a lot of low-hanging fruit in old houses and apartments occupied by poor people who can’t afford the upgrades that would save them money overall. 

I worked in electrification and with utilities. Do you see us moving away from large, centralized generation to more distributed generation and something like electric co-ops instead of monopoly utilities?

I think it is wise globally and probably in the US and locally, but it will be difficult to achieve because of the entrenched monopoly utilities.  (I presume you are more aware of this than I am: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_nuclear_bribery_scandal

That obviously does not show that all large utilities are bad, but it shows what can occur.) We’ve seen centralized generation causing problems in Ukraine because of military value as targets, and earlier because of Chernobyl.  Our daughter is going to get batteries to go with her solar up the ridge from Seattle because trees take out power lines during every big storm, so they need backup.  So do hospitals… The big difficulties you know, though, including how to pay for interconnections to support microgrids, etc. when most of the electricity is supplied locally but a little exchange between regions can be beneficial. There’s real need for people such as you figuring these things out! 

Can you offer any opinion on using ocean wave action or river currents to generate energy?

0.01% of the solar energy reaching Earth is more-or-less 100% of human energy use.  About 1% of the solar energy goes into wind, so something like 1% of the wind energy is 100% of human energy use (probably less than 1%, but more than 0.1%).  1% of the wind goes into waves and currents, so we would need to get a lot of the waves and currents to power us—there’s just less energy there.  But, if we have to build breakwaters and levees and such to protect cities from rising seas, why not take the energy out of the waves with generators?  There seems to be a niche there that would be valuable as a win-win.  We’re taking a lot of the energy out of rivers already, so there could be some local wins with river turbines, but probably not a major part of the total energy budget.  I tend to think that in the future, water will be more important for drinking and growing food and fisheries and recreation than for energy because the wind and sun will be so much more important there. 

Any thoughts on the effect of the loss of ice and the thermal energy it is absorbing, on the temperature profile of the world. It seems we are losing ice in Iceland, Greenland etc. so there is a time that the ice will be gone. What are the implications.

Somewhere I can find the numbers if you want me to, but the actual latent heat used to melt the ice is pretty small compared to the others.  The Earth is out of radiative balance, with more energy coming in from the sun than going out to space, by a bit more than 1 W/m2 out of 240 W/m2 that drive the climate.  The vast majority of this goes to heating the ocean—more than 90%, then heating the air, melting ice, and heating the ground.

The issues seem very large and overwhelming.  What are some of the best ways that individuals can help?

Talk to friends. Vote. Look for win-wins in your job or life generally, in which doing the right thing for you and for the climate are the same.  Then, if that isn’t enough, pick one other thing you care about and do that.  If we all did that, we’d be there! 

Here in Wyoming energy is everything (almost besides agriculture). People out here go both ways on wind - for and against.  We have many success stories with ranchers such as the one you presented. However, we do have an issue with maintenance and follow up from companies keeping these wind farms going, and with waste disposal from old wind generators that either have been rebuilt or abandoned. This has resulted in much waste in the prairie and people are against wind because of this (not to mention the noise, wildlife death and visual clutter. I have been for wind, but these are serious issues. We need to fix this to sell the idea of more wind energy. How? What is the incentive?

I wish I knew.  There is a lot of progress in recyclability, but the older installations obviously didn’t have it, and we have this history of not forcing companies to really clean up after themselves, in wind and sun, in coal, in oil.  (Pennsylvania may have more than half a million abandoned oil wells, as well as a lot of un-reclaimed strip mines, as well as the coming issues with other energy sources…).  My suspicion is that incentivizing universities to research the problem and then found new companies, with a small fee on all energy sources to fund it, may be the way forward, but that sounds a little Pollyanna-ish, and undoubtedly it needs more-serious thought long-term.  If we really do renewables, and design with recycling in mind, the older installations will become valuable resources. 

Robert Pyle ('86 MS Meteorology)
robert.pyle@live.com

Joel Reed '82 Ceramic Science and Engineering
jgreednc@comcast.net

Chad Wallaesa '02 Industrial Health and Safety
chadpsu@alumni.psu.edu

Don Cordier '79 Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering
don@dcmcinterests.com

Kevin Cei '07 Meteorology and Atmospheric Science 
kevincei@gmail.com

Erica Grow Cei '02 Meteorology and Atmospheric Science 
ericagrow@gmail.com

Rich Wagner '03 Mining and Engineering
rwagner201@gmail

Laura Schell '11 Materials Science and Engineering
laurarschell@gmail.com

Tony Hutchinson '80 Geography
hutchpa@yahoo.com