Dr. Mendoza is a recognized educator and writer. He was named "Teacher of the Year" by the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians and has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. His scholarly interests include studying and implementing practice-based innovations that promote quality and patient safety in underserved clinical settings, and capacity development for the primary care and public health workforce. His prior research focused on pay-for-performance incentive programs in underserved settings and the effects of community-based faculty development on the quality of medical student education. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and has held leadership roles in the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, and he is a member of the Board of Directors of several local community-based organizations.