University of Pittsburgh
Swanson School of Engineering Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Engineering Technology, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Cooperative Education Spring 2013
Co-op Students Recognized at the 2012 Reception and Dinner Graduating seniors were honored at the 2012 Senior Recognition Reception and Dinner, held on December 7, 2012, at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association in Oakland. Students who completed all co-op rotations received recognition from Dr. Bopaya Bidanda, Ernest E. Roth Professor and chairman of the Department of Industrial Engineering. The upcoming graduates and their families, in addition to faculty and co-op employers, attended the event. Maureen Barcic, cooperative education director, highlighted the accomplishments of the program for the 2011-2012 academic year, noting the new graduate co-op program and the largest number of student participants ever. Dr. Bidanda awarded each senior with a Certificate of Completion from the co-op program.
Dr. Bidanda (2nd from left) stand with co-op award recipients Abigail Kender, Erica Flinchbaugh, Declan Wilson, Maxwell Pless, Lauren Sakerka, and Paul Monroe .
Students celebrate the completion of their co-op program.
Several generations of the Vassilaros family at the Recognition Dinner.
Kip Madeira, Siemens Energy director, accepts the Co-op Employer of the Year award from Dr. Bopaya Bidanda, Chairman of Industrial Engineering.
Abigail K. Kender, Mechanical Engineering, Vocollect Maxwell P. Pless, Mechanical Engineering, Siemens Energy Donald J. Virostek, Computer Engineering, Vocollect Declan W.C. Wilson, Industrial Engineering, Heinz North America
Kip Madeira, Director, Turbine Generator Specialty Services Joshua Tredway, Development Project Engineer Brandon Emanuel, Manager, Generator Services Fossil
Ms. Barcic and Dr. Bidanda awarded the 2012 Co-op Employer of the Year to Siemens Energy. Kip Madiera graciously accepted on the company’s behalf. Student awards were also presented to acknowledge the co-ops’ successes in their work, academics and communities. The award winners were:
Co-op Student of the Year Lauren M. Sakerka Chemical Engineering BASF
Co-op Student of the Year Finalist Paul E. Monroe Electrical Engineering NASA/Glenn Research
Co-op Student of the Year Honorable Mentions
Matthew D. Cimino, Electrical Engineering, GE Energy Erica C. Flinchbaugh, Bioengineering, Cohera Medical
Co-op Employer of the Year Award
Siemens Energy, Penn Hall, Pa. Presented to: Eric S. McDonald, Manager, Generator Services
The co-op program would like to thank the students, their families, co-op employers, faculty, and staff for attending the dinner event. Cooperative education takes pride in the students’ accomplishments and values the support of its employer partners.
Cooperative Education Siemens Energy named 2012 Co-op Employer of the Year Each year the Cooperative Education Program solicits nominations for Outstanding Co-op Employer from faculty and students. The criteria are a sustained commitment to the co-op program and its students. We had several nominations this year and of course many outstanding employers in our co-op program, so it is always difficult to select just one. We are very happy to announce, however, that Siemens Energy has been named as the Swanson School of Engineering’s Outstanding Cooperative Education Employer for 2012. We began our program with Siemens Power Generation in January of 2002 with our first co-op. Since that time, thirty-six students have been hired by Siemens, and many of those students have gone on to become full-time employees. There are a few different reasons why Siemens has been chosen this year. One, of course, is the sustainability and true partnership they have shared with the University of Pittsburgh. Another is the true commitment they have made to our program, even when times were lean, as over these past couple of years. Siemens kept all of the co-ops working, even hiring new ones, through one of the toughest economic times in recent memory. Our students had meaningful work, and thrived professionally. Most importantly, our students recognized the value of their experience with Siemens through their nomination. Kip Madeira, manager, Generator Services, accepted the award at our banquet on December 7, 2012.
Brandon Emanuel, Matthew Andromalos, Joshua Tredway, Kip Madeira, Maxwell Pless, and Eric McDonald, for Siemens Energy.
Pitt Co-op Alumni Luca Covi starts program at Grunley Construction Company Entering my final year in engineering I had already accepted a full-time position in the industry I love, construction. This would not have happened without the help of Maureen Barcic, the co-op program and the company that provided me with an opportunity as a sophomore. Today, I am in a unique position to help current students have a similar experience. In 1999, I was hired for my first rotation with the General Contractor, Dick Corporation (now dck worldwide). Over the course of the next two years, I worked in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas, both in the office as well as on large scale construction projects. I was taught estimating, as well as project management during this time. Before the end of my last rotation, I was offered full-time employment. Utilizing the experience of my co-op, I spent the next few years working in Fresno, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Pensacola, Fla. and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (side note: I met my wife on this assignment). I have since moved on and am currently a senior project manager for Grunley Construction, a general contractor located just outside of D.C. in Rockville, Md. Grunley Construction is a full service, award winning construction firm with expertise in high-profile, complex projects. Grunley specializes in new facilities as well as addition, renovation, restoration and modernization
our company President [Greg Druga, University of Pittsburgh BSCE ‘81] where the Pitt co-ops where. He responded by telling me to go recruit.
Pictured is current civil engineering co-op student Josh Olszewski on the tower crane at the Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building.
of large-scale facilities, buildings, monuments and museums. If you can think of a building in D.C., we most likely have or currently are performing work on it. A few examples are the White House, the U.S. Capital Building, and the Washington Monument. My first assignment with Grunley was the historic occupied renovation of the United States Supreme Court. During the court project, I was assigned an intern from another school. I was thrilled to see we had an intern program because of how much I learned during my co-op experience. I quickly asked
Since then we have had at least one Pitt co-op almost every semester. I have been fortunate to have two Pitt students work directly for me. The most recent was Josh Olszewski. He was on my current project at the Smithsonian Institution’s Arts & Industries Building. The project is to restore our nation’s first museum, originally built in 1879. The entire staff made certain to teach Josh all aspects and phases the of construction process. He, like the co-op students before him, was given tasks that not only were challenging, but also impacted the final outcome of the project. We work very hard to keep every co-op experience exciting as well as educational. Our goal is to one day obtain Employer of the Year and more importantly, co-op Student of the Year by maintaining the early success we share with the students we have had the honor of hiring. The co-op program prepared me for my future, and ultimately my success. I encourage all engineering students to participate if they are serious about obtaining their goals. Submitted by Luca A. Covi (BSCE ’02)
Congratulations to Lauren Sakerka, 2012 Co-op Student of the Year Our 2012 Co-op Student of the Year representing the University of Pittsburgh in the national competition is Lauren Sakerka, chemical engineer. Lauren’s achievements during her four work sessions at BASF were impactful, to say the least. She wrote operating procedures for OSHA, made control documents, and master trends for 60 products. Lauren also created a program to calculate cycle time for products that will save the company a substantial amount of money each year. Lauren was a valuable member of the safety committee in a plant that dealt with hazardous chemicals. Lauren was the first co-op at BASF. Because of her dedicated and strong work performance, the Monaca site has hired several other co-op students. Lauren has performed at the top of her class academically and has received numerous scholarships from her department, including the Chiang Award, and the Fulton Memorial and Stuart
Memorial scholarships. Additionally, Lauren was one of two undergraduates working on a research study that involved taking gas derived from carbon monoxide and hydrogen and converting it into paraffins which can then be converted into fuel. Outside the classroom, Lauren was very involved in the Engineers without Borders program. She served as manager for the Mali project, which consisted of building a fish farm for the villagers. This project provided sustenance and independence to the village, and Lauren made the inaugural trip with a few other students to Mali to break ground for the farm. Lauren also worked with the Freshman Engineering Program as an ambassador. Lauren’s accomplishments at the University of Pittsburgh and at BASF speak for themselves. It is not an exaggeration to state that what she has done both at her co-op, and through her research and volunteerism, will have far reaching impact for many years to come.
Lauren graduated in December 2012 and accepted a full-time position with ExxonMobil.
Curtiss-Wright Co-ops Spread Holiday I am extremely satisfied with this “ co-op. I have many responsibilities Cheer at Harmar Village/Amber Woods with little oversight across multiple groups. The projects I am on are critical to the company, and given the small size of the company, any failure to meet deadlines is transparent to all of my coworkers. There is also a lot of support because everyone is passionate about his or her work, and devoted to making the company succeed.
On Monday, December 3, 2012, co-ops from CurtissWright visited the residents at Harmar Village/Amber Woods in Cheswick, Pa. They distributed socks donated by Curtiss-Wright employees, sang holiday songs, made ornaments, served refreshments, and visited some of the residents (who were unable to come to the social gathering). David Uber (Pitt) accompanied the singers on the baby grand piano and keyboard. Several students visited the memory impaired wing and sang a verse of Jingle Bells. The residents were delighted that the young folks volunteered their time to brighten their spirits. A gentleman in the front row during the songfest took a special interest in the students. He received his mechanical engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh many years ago. Harmar Village called to thank the students for using their precious time to visit the residents. Although the co-ops gave of their time, they received as much as they gave by bringing smiles to the elderly in our community.
David Uber, seated at piano, acts as accompanist to singers Brandon Woodward, Brian Jackson (co-lead), Jason Galletta, Scott Berkow, Robert Cairn, Eric Deeds, and Julie Michelini (co-lead).
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Charles Spyres Chemical Engineering Cohera Medical, Inc.
learned so much in a short “I’ve amount of time. So far my
Written by Donna Millburn Coordinator of the Curtiss-Wright Co-Op Program December 19, 2012
assignment has been exceeding my expectations.
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Brian Litzinger Computer Engineerng Savvior Technology Solutions Pitt Engineering graduate (front row, center) enjoys the festivities.
Cooperative Education 2012 Co-op Certificate Recipients Bioengineering Erica C. Flinchbaugh Emma M. Harbert Andrea L. Shoffstall
Civil and Environmental Engineering Angela J. Anderson Amira Aouni Ryan E. Bachman Jeremiah J. Beiter Bruk M. Berhanu Brian M. Bieber Brian D. Blacka Stephen M. Bosela Eric M. Brichler Kristin R. Dauer Zachary A. Dowdell John Ferragonio Jr. Tzur Frenkel Matthew R. Gilfillan Cory J. Hadden-Leggett Maxwell J. Hegedus John I. Izevbigie Frank J. Jupena Joel J. Kohler Ryan J. Kossol Steven E. Lipe Allyson J. Longardner Mark A. Mancini Anthony C. May David A. Noll Michael P. Quarantillo Zachary D. Rinker Patrick F. Ryan Samuel M. Scalzo Andreas J. Schermaier Casey W. Sigmund Daniel R. Stauffer Matthew D. Tamrowski Gregory S. Turko Zachary W. Wally Tyler J. Washburn Gary J. Zurawski
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering David C. Beach Nathan A. Blandino Benjamin L. Carlson Rachel J. Clark Andrew R. Decker Erik L. Dirkmaat David Dress Andrew Thomas Flowers Cassandra L. Gallaschun
Tyler R. Gaskill Amy E. Geisler Berlyn J. Hubler Patrick E. Ireland Lucianne Y. Keenan Christopher M. Keller Mary Elizabeth Kellett James R. Landreneau John L. Lyons Matthew P. Maione Marc-Antoine Milord Monica S. Nicola Lauren M. Sakerka Randy N. Stein Ross E. Trinch Karl S. Unger Nicole L. Wieszczyk
Matthew D. Cimino Joshua M. Cohen Daniel P. Duffy Matthew A. Fink Craig W. Fraser John M. Gerlowski Akshay Hari Eric L. Hoover Marc F. Jaroudi Robert J. Kurkiewicz Daniel H. Miller Paul E. Monroe Timothy J. Olczak Syeda R. Raisa
Computer Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Christopher A. Barracato Nathan M. Brubaker Sean M. Cardello Andrew M. Head Amanda M. Johanns Antonio J. Kang Shane T. Lester Benjamin P. Long Christopher J. Lukas Edward T. Morgans Catherine L. Nalesnik Benjamin E. Nemeth Caitlyn A. Oleykowski Nikolas B. Parshook Christopher E. Paskie Zachary M. Shelhamer Zachary D. Sweigart Donald J. Virostek Jonathan J. Witsberger Jacob C. Zielinski
Computer Science Brian W. Foster Benjamin J. Isenberg Kyle Andrew Magocs Clayton J. McAllister Diana I. Ren Ernast R. Sevo Thaddeus F. Taylor Matthew G. Waggett Joshua Daniel West
Electrical Engineering Brent K. Baade Benjamin L. Baum Dylan P. Blosser Alexander T. Cantarera
Engineering Physics Matthew R. Paterson
Benjamin J. Berk Derrick P. Bransby Katherine A. Brown Gabrielle Hope Curione Patrice N. DaValt Matthew M. D’Emidio Evgeniya Y. Dmitrieva Monica S. Faris Jennifer A. Forster Sean L. Glenn Dana M. Huttlin Chelsea T. Kirch Jose Carlos KurokiRamirez Angela M. Litvin Kaitlyn A. Mayowski Todd R. Mellett John J. Migliozzi Samuel R. O’Donnell Janelle A. Otieno William J. Owens Michael J. Pesce Kyle Piatt Cassia Priebe Evan M. Rago Karin Rozendaal Ryan D. Snee Edward S. Spotts Quan H. Truong Megan Lynn Ubinger Declan W.C. Wilson Matthew J. Yandura
Information Sciences Filipe S. Silvestre
Mechanical Engineering William J. Airgood Michael T. Albaugh Samuel J. Algeo Matthew W. Andromalos Alexa D. Becker Mark R. Benkowsk Justin K. Black Andrew W. Blandino Charles J. Bockstoce Matthew R. Bogolin Christopher J. Bohn Sara E. Bolha Jessica J. Boyer Jeffrey L. Carson Brenden M. Counihan Erin J. Dansey Brandon O. Davies-Sekle Matthew M. Degonish Sean M. Delserro Matthew S. Dilulio Noah W. Erin Cody J. Godding Matthew M. Goodwill Francis J. Healy Zachary M. Hein Ryan E. Hill Derek R. Hobbins Stacey M. Horvitz Robert J. Hough Steven T. Karkenny Abigail K. Kender Michel E. Kernizan Paul J. Kristo Joseph C. Laughlin Kelly A. Macie Robert T. Maier Robert E. Meinert James J. Neidigh Maxwell P. Pless Ryan A. Richter Alex R. Rieber Jonathan R. Rothrock Mike Rovinsky Eric M. Ruth Elisha H. Sanger Daniel E. Stein Jordan A. Streussnig Brandon J. Tomasic George L. Vassilaros Daniel W. Walsh Matthew T. Wilson Jason J. Wolinsky Adam R. Wood Patrick D. Zarnas
Dates to Remember Diversity DinnerView Event Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Wednesday, January 23, 2013 6–8 p.m. Annual Spring Co-op Job Fair Thursday, January 24, 2013 William Pitt Student Union 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Employer Panel Event Thursday, September 19, 2013 (tentative) 157 Benedum Hall 5–7 p.m. Annual Fall Co-op Job Fair Tuesday, September 24, 2013 (tentative) William Pitt Student Union 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
assignment is going as “Myexpected. It is challenging and the more time I spend here, the more responsibility I have, the more rewarding it gets.
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Eric Foster Civil and Environmental Engineering Westinghouse Electric Company
University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Cooperative Education Program 152D Benedum Hall 412-624-9826 www.engineering.pitt.edu/coop/ Co-op Staff Maureen Barcic Director paub2m@pitt.edu Chris Frankovic Associate Director caf54@pitt.edu Tracy Severson Program Administrator trs57@pitt.edu The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. Published in cooperation with the Department of University Marketing Communications. UMC88648-0113