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
COOPERATIVE EDUCATION Alumni Hall of Fame: Stacey Williamson Webb (BSE ’04) Hello, Pitt engineering co-op community! It’s hard to believe that I graduated from college 10 years ago this December! The milestone has given me the opportunity to reflect on my career decisions that really started during my time at Pitt. In fact, some of my best decisions were made during engineering school, starting with my freshman year. I had no idea which engineering discipline I would pursue until halfway into my freshman year. During one of the freshman seminars, I was introduced to the field of industrial engineering, which led me to one of my first best decisions of choosing industrial engineering as my major. My second best decision was to pursue the co-op program. I worried about graduating a term late by pursuing the co-op program, but take my word, it was definitely worth it! I spent three terms at Hershey Foods, where I was able to apply classroom concepts to realworld problems. I was given three very unique assignments over the three terms, which helped me to narrow down the possible directions I was interested in pursuing after graduation. Most importantly, I learned professionalism and workplace etiquette.
Transtar Co-op Day On March 20, 2014, Patrick Ebbitt of Transtar hosted Pitt Co-op Day. The human resources manager kicked off the event with a presentation, conducted a plant tour, and then held a pizza lunch and open forum with top management for the students. Students attending included (left to right): Jessica Chapla, Jonathan Powers, Michael DeCirce, Nathan McIntire, and Brandon Waltman.
Hershey provided me with exposure to managing cross-functional projects, running meetings, and even handling difficult situations. I’m very thankful I had this time to learn and, quite honestly, to make mistakes before I started my full-time career. Today, I work for the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Over the past 10 years with Walmart and Sam’s Club, I have worked in distribution engineering, distribution operations, transportation strategy, store engineering, and global innovation roles. My current role in international business processes affords me the opportunity to travel the globe, solving problems all over the world that are complex in people, processes, and systems. But one thing is true no matter where I am in the world: Great talent makes great companies, which leads me to my final best decision: choosing to stay in contact with the co-op program at Pitt and hire students from the co-op program into Walmart and Sam’s Club. Over the years, I have only missed a few co-op job fairs, and I try to stay in contact with the great co-op team (Maureen, Tracy, and Chris, among others) who provided me with my first experience in the workplace that was so foundational to my career. I’m so glad I have been able to help others through co-op opportunities at Walmart throughout the years. I plan to continue to look for great talent from the co-op program for years to come! My reflection of the past 10 years can be summed up in the following statements. First,
“We have implemented the co-op program at Sam’s Club to find great talent for our business and to grow and develop future engineering talent in the retail marketplace. “Personally, I participated in the co-op program as a student because it provided me with great hands-on experience prior to graduation. The co-op program was a better option than an internship for me because the co-op provided me with one full year of work experience upon graduating. It made me much more competitive in finding a full-time job. It also helped to confirm that I chose the right major. I encourage every student to consider completing a co-op assignment for both professional and personal growth.”
time flies. I can’t believe 10 years has passed so quickly! Second, take advantage of the opportunities that the Pitt engineering programs provide to you, especially the co-op program. Working with universities around the world, there are few that will provide you with the experience, both personally and professionally, that the co-op program at Pitt will provide. It will impact many of your best decisions in your future, just like it did mine. And, lastly, remember to have fun. Hail to Pitt! Stacey Williamson Webb (BSE ’04) Walmart/Sam’s Club
“The University of Pittsburgh co-op program launched my career with the H.J. Heinz Company. The history of this program has created strong ties with Pittsburgh’s companies. This gave me the opportunity to prove my abilities with a Fortune 500 company that ultimately defined my career. “I view this program as a pipeline to develop and hire top talent. Over the last 10 years, Heinz has developed and promoted industrial engineers into various leadership roles.” Ken Terwilliger (BSE ’02)
Associate Director, S&OP H.J. Heinz Company
Co-op Staff Continues to Grow In the past five years, the co-op program has grown from 652 active students to more than 960 today. Employers and students alike see the value of the co-op experience. In response, we’ve hired graduate intern Benedetta Khoury to assist, along with Mark Caliendo (see article at right). Benedetta is a graduate student in the School of Education, with a focus on administrative and policy studies. She is certified as Level-1 by the College Reading & Learning Association and has worked with undergraduate students to maximize their academic experience. Additionally, she is well traveled internationally, speaking fluent Spanish and Italian. Benedetta or “Bene” will be assisting students with résumés, cover letters, and co-op job searches and questions. She also will be active in co-op job development. As always, students will continue to receive top-notch service from all staff, and we will continue to offer our open-door policy to best assist all co-op students. We wish to thank the Eaton Corporation for its gift to the Pitt co-op program. We hope to use the funds to assist with unexpected relocation costs. Thank you again!
Co-op Program Welcomes New Advisor Mark Caliendo! The co-op office is pleased to announce the addition of Mark Caliendo to its staff. Mark will meet with students and prepare them for coop positions through résumé critiques, mock interviews and one-on-one advising. As an engineer recruiter for Valspar’s co-op program, Mark has been on the other side of the desk. He interviewed, hired, evaluated, and guided co-op students while at Valspar. As a hiring manager and seasoned engineer, Mark can offer unique insights and advice to our students. Mark has worked in industry since 1975 as a chemical engineer in manufacturing, processing, and recruiting. He is Six Sigma certified and well versed in process safety, lean manufacturing, and process improvement. Working for Valspar Corporation for more than two decades, Mark was most recently a Senior
engineer and engineer recruiter. Valspar is the sixth-largest paint and coatings company in the world, with operations in more than 25 countries. Mark has many contacts in engineering and will contribute toward growing the co-op program by focusing on bringing new chemical and bioengineering companies into the co-op program. In addition to engineering, Mark is active in his community. He is on the executive committee of the WPGA and on the Board of Directors for the Montour Heights Country Club. An avid golfer, feel free to ask Mark about his game! Working at the University meant coming full circle for Mark. As an active alumnus of Pitt’s engineering program, Mark is in a unique position to understand exactly where students are in their careers and to be able to help.
is going better than expected. It is challenging yet rewarding. “MyI feelassignment like I am learning a lot of really interesting things. Rockwell also is filled with very nice and helpful people, so I never feel lost and helpless. My work also contributes to real problems and actual projects, which is a very good feeling. All the co-ops are currently working on a project of their own, which again is also very enjoyable.
”
Nathan Spangler Computer Engineering Rockwell Automation
COOPERATIVE EDUCATION Nominations Open for Co-op Student of the Year and Employer of the Year The co-op program is fortunate to have strong employer partners and smart, capable students. The Co-op Student of the Year and Co-op Employer of the Year awards recognize the time, effort, and hard work both parties have contributed. This is the time of year to think about those outstanding companies and individuals and to submit nominations for the 2014 awards. The criteria for Co-op Student of the Year are as follows 1. Excellent academic record 2. Outstanding work contributions with co-op employer (students must have three rotations completed) 3. Volunteerism or contributions to co-op or University community. Ideally, we would like to have one nominee from each department. The University of Pittsburgh can select one candidate to represent it in the National Co-op Student of the Year competition, which is sponsored by the Cooperative Education Division of the American Society
assignment (my fourth “This rotation) has been exceptional.
I feel challenged more than any other rotation, but I feel like I have excellent resources available. My supervisor and the engineer I am primarily working with have exposed me to many aspects of a chemical engineer’s role that I have never seen before and have made it a point to really teach me. I have learned more during this rotation than any other rotation.
”
Kristin Osinski Chemical Engineering Valspar
Dates to Remember
for Engineering Education. The winner will be sent to our annual conference, this year to be held in Palm Springs, Calif., in February 2015. The winner will also receive recognition at our annual conference along with a plaque and a check for $750. We have won this award three times, including 2013, and have had many outstanding finalists. The criteria for Co-op Employer of the Year are as follows 1. Sustained commitment to cooperative education at the University of Pittsburgh 2. Quality of projects and assignments The Co-op Employer of the Year and all Pitt Coop Student of the Year nominees will be honored at our annual recognition dinner, scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2014, at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. We look forward to accepting your nominations. Please submit your nomination by Friday, October 10, 2014, to Maureen Barcic at paub2m@pitt. edu. Feel free to contact her with any questions pertaining to the nomination process.
love everything about my “Iassignment. The difficulty level
is just right, sometimes time consuming, but I am really getting a feel for what it is like to work as a metallurgical engineer. I love working for special metals!
”
Taylor Russo Materials Science Engineering Special Metals Co.
assignments have been “The very challenging so far, and they are allowing me to grow more well rounded as an industrial engineering student.
”
Karl Dornstauder Industrial Engineering Giant Eagle
Employer Panel Event September 16, 2014 157 Benedum Hall 7–9 p.m. Annual Fall Co-op Job Fair September 23, 2014 William Pitt Union 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Nomination deadline for CO-op Student of the Year October 10, 2014 Contact Maureen at paub2m@pitt.edu Co-op Recognition Dinner* Pittsburgh Athletic Association Friday, December 5, 2014 *For students who have completed their rotations Annual Spring Co-op Job Fair February 17, 2015 William Pitt Union 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
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 Mark Caliendo Advisor mlc112@pitt.edu Benedetta Khoury Graduate Intern bek58@pitt.edu
The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. Published in cooperation with the Department of Communications Services. DCS97477-0914