University of Pittsburgh
Swanson School of Engineering Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Engineering Technology, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
COOPERATIVE EDUCATION FALL 2014
Lucky Number Twenty-seven has always been my favorite and luckiest number. It started when I was a kid and my dad, a former minor league baseball player from the late 1930s, would take me and my five brothers and sisters to baseball games at Municipal Stadium to watch the Cleveland Indians. My favorite player was Leon “Daddy Wags” Wagner, number 27. He was one-half of the “Tribe Thumpers” along with Rocky Colavito. Since those days in the 1960’s, number 27 has been it for me. This July, I was lucky enough to experience my 27th anniversary in the co-op office. The thanks for that go to two individuals who got this program started back in 1987. One is Senior Associate Dean Larry Shuman, who is my boss to this day. I wonder how many people can say that! The second person was our dean of engineering, Charles Sorber. He was a bigger-than-life individual who came to us from the University of Texas at Austin. He unfortunately passed away less than a year ago, but I am including a link where you can read a little bit about him. www.oaoa.com/news/education/utpb/article_ 1d3c808c-dc7d-11e3-9021-0017a43b2370.html I would surely be remiss if I did not mention that I also have worked with some great individuals, including Chris Frankovic, our associate director, and Tracy Severson, our program administrator. Needless to say, the Swanson School of Engineering, from our current dean, Gerald Holder, on down, is very, very proud of its co-op program and the thousands of student participants who have made their mark on the University.
Today’s program is larger than it has ever been, with almost 50 percent of the engineering undergrads involved. Our students are literally working from coast to coast and sometimes even internationally. We have expanded to include other technical disciplines such as computer science, chemistry, and information science, and we now boast a graduatelevel program as well. Our participants are graduating with higher GPAs; increased starting salaries; and many intangible qualities like dedication, hard work, and a strong sense of ethics. Our employer partners also demonstrate that same loyalty to both Pitt and our students. I tell people that our co-op fairs are more like wedding receptions; between our employers and former co-ops who return in the role of employer, we are surrounded by many old and true friends. I’ve not only been lucky but blessed to be here for 27 years with the opportunity to know and work with so many great people. Maureen Barcic Director, Cooperative Education