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 2015
From the Director by Maureen Barcic Each fall season brings a new school year, but in our office it is filled with many traditions. We meet a new class of co-op applicants, host the co-op fair, and begin our search for the Coop Student and Co-op Employer of the Year. The annual report is assembled and we reflect and try to improve. The fall term culminates in our annual recognition dinner for our graduating coop students. It is a busy time! This year we are very fortunate to have the return of Benedetta Khoury and we have added another graduate student, Scott Allen, to assist us. Both are working very hard by reaching out to the
Bombardier is moving people and moving up! Bombardier Transportation, located in West Mifflin, Pa., is the global leader in the rail industry. The company’s focus ranges from the manufacture of trains to subsystems, to maintenance services and system integration and signaling. There are 59 production and engineering sites in 23 countries. Our first co-op, Shelia Kingsley, began with Bombardier in the Fall of 2000 (ADTranz) as an industrial engineer. Shelia said that during her co-op she was exposed to everything from lean manufacturing on the shop floor to European travel for analysis work. Because ADTranz was not hiring when Shelia graduated, she accepted a position with General Motors (GM), where she was accepted into the Tool and Die Supervisor Program and earned a master’s degree in manufactur-
students and assisting with resume and job fair preparation. Once again our program showed growth, both in student and employer participation. We had well over 1,000 active students over the 2014-2015 year with almost 300 employers. Our students work from one end of the country to the other, and a few students experienced international assignments. Fall is also a season of thankfulness, and Chris, LeeAnn, and I want to take a moment to thank everyone in the Swanson School of Engineering who supports us, especially our Senior Associate Dean Larry Shuman, as well as our co-op alumni, students, and employers, too!
ing operations from Kettering University. After seven years with GM, Shelia decided she wanted to return to Pittsburgh, Pa. She still knew several individuals at what is now Bombardier and accepted a position in project management. After a few wellearned promotions, Shelia is currently the site general manager and project manager at West Mifflin. One of Shelia’s goals is to promote co-op throughout Bombardier. Since 2011, we have had an ongoing relationship that is truly blossoming into something great! Vince Falleroni co-oped with Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) in Murrysville, Pa. He really enjoys working with his hands, and that is what initially drew him to engineering. At MSA he began project work in lean manufacturing and capacity analysis. The co-op helped him connect the academics and upon graduation, Vince accepted a position with a manufacturing company. About a year and a half later, he accepted a position at Bombardier in the propulsion division. Vince said he had a great mentor and accepted a position as a senior methods engineer, where he worked on
internal process improvement. Since then, Vince has accepted a new role and supervises the hardware engineering group. Vince acknowledges the versatility of these positions, but says that the co-op was instrumental in helping him bridge the gap between industry and academics.
From left to right: Joe Korenic, Sheila Kingsley, and Vince Falleroni
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COOPERATIVE EDUCATION As a student, he chose a variety of courses that would aid him in a manufacturing career. Vince, like Shelia, wants to see the co-op expanded into his area. Joe Korenic, Pitt EE graduate in 1983 and current manager of Advance Engineering and the Power Lab, did not have the opportunity to co-op as the program was not established yet, but he relies heavily on the program now. In fact, he just hired two recent co-ops into full-time positions at Bombardier, but continues to budget for two co-ops each term to assist him in his areas. He loves the fact that Pitt co-ops try their best and ask for additional work. He said it is important to have people who are proactive and asking for more. Nick DiSaia is our most recent Bombardier partner in the co-op program. Nick was a Pitt co-op in 2003-2005 at Ansys, Inc. He partici-
pated because he wanted the opportunity to see the practical application of his education. Being a co-op allowed him to gain real world experience while working towards his degree and gave him a competitive edge when applying for jobs after graduation.
one month ago, he was an engineering expert in the team responsible for our R&D project. Currently, Bombardier hosts 13 Pitt co-ops, not including two recently hired graduates.
In Nick’s area, Bombardier relied more on summer interns than co-ops. This year he made the decision to get involved with the Pitt co-op program so that they would have talent returning to our team. He realizes that full-time recruitment could be improved via co-ops. Bombardier gets to know and develop the student and in turn, the student becomes more embedded in the business. Nick is the current engineering manager of the communications engineering department in Bombardier Transportation’s rail control solutions division. Prior to officially taking this role
My International Experience by Zhanneta Plokhovska I enjoy being devoted to my work. Whether it is a painting, cleaning the house, or a co-op position, I believe I must do the best I can do or not do it at all. “Our growth depends not on how many experiences we devour, but on how many we digest,” Ralph W. Sockman once said. This philosophy always helped me in my personal life as well as professional life. The coop program especially requires a lot of effort on the student’s part as it takes enthusiasm and hard work to be successful. For my co-op I chose ABB Inc. for their variety in work and international connections. I completed three co-op rotations with ABB, all in different locations: Natrona Heights, Pa.; Cleveland, Ohio; and finally Genoa, Italy, this past summer.
was especially helpful, always making sure I enjoyed projects and giving me advice for my future career. Furthermore, being a larger company location, we had thirteen co-ops, which allowed us to work on fun projects together such as organizing a fundraiser for a local children’s hospital. We had a great time organizing raffles, bake sales, and pumpkin-carving contests. Around this time I met another student that had co-oped in ABBGermany; I was immediately excited to try to do so myself. I looked for suitable positions abroad and spoke to my manager and the human resources department. I was later informed there was a chance I could work with a team in Genoa, Italy. Working in Italy was like nothing I’ve ever imagined. At first I was a little overwhelmed: I was learning a new language, figuring out transportation, attempting to grocery shop, and I was constantly meeting new people and working on new projects. The lifestyle was very different and so was the
Nick DiSaia
ABB is a large international company, with numerous divisions providing opportunities to work with people from all over the globe. I spent my first co-op rotation in Natrona Heights, Pa., where I was able to experience working at a smaller location. Not only was this due to the size of the office but also the philosophy of my manager, Cam Lopez. His philosophy was that everyone should have at least a small understanding of functions of other departments to be able to sufficiently contribute to projects. Therefore, I was introduced to quite a number of engineering aspects. Throughout the semester I worked with circuit board layout, FPGA, soft microcontrollers, demo systems, simulation, hardware and software testing, and much more. This experience became a solid engineering base and helped me discover what I wanted to do with computer engineering. At the end of every co-op rotation students put together a presentation to share their accomplishments with managers; this was a wonderful chance to make an impression and create connections. On presentation day, I was approached about working under a different manager in Cleveland, Ohio, for my next rotation. I accepted the position and after a short school semester, I was working in Cleveland, Ohio, under David Mielnik. Immediately I knew it would be a different experience because the office was much bigger and the products were different. My new job duties included debugging and developing firmware for embedded systems, investigating hardware problems, and integrating hardware changes. My manager
work flow. I had to adjust to different time zones as we were constantly working with India and the United States of America. I worked on some very exciting projects such as the world MOSE project, intended to protect the city of Venice and the Venetian Lagoon from flooding. I also did some software testing and was involved in creating an implementation proposal of a new software tool. I designed a user interface, reviewed proposals, and estimated costs for a new project. Of course, this was also a wonderful opportunity to travel. I went to see many modern and ancient places. I visited Rome, the Vatican City, Florence, Venice, Verona, Cinque Terre, and countless other places. I tried delicious local cuisine and made wonderful friends and unforgettable memories. I am especially thankful for my manager, Enrico Ferro, as well as my coworkers and their families who made this experience so much more memorable by always making me feel welcome and ensuring I got the full Italian experience. Grazie! In the beginning this experience opened my eyes to new professional ways, but by the end it had changed my perspective on life. None of this would have been possible without the effort made by my managers and the support and lessons I learned from my coworkers. This opportunity inspired and convinced me that I can truly achieve anything I want. I believe everyone can do the same and even more if only they give the effort. All you have to ask yourself is: What is the point of doing anything if you do not give it your all?
Reflections by Jordan Drischler I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a co-op for US Airways and the new American Airlines. My engineering mentor was a very experienced and knowledgeable engineer who cared about the careers of young engineers. He was a great guide as I learned what it was like to be an engineer in the workforce. He provided me with a lot of valuable information and taught me a lot. He also gave me a lot of responsibility to take on projects myself and make them my own. When I started my co-op experience in the spring of 2014, I learned the ropes of engineering and the airline industry. By my third work rotation, I was practically working as a project engineer. American Airlines has made their co-op program a priority and it is encouraging to be a part of a company that truly values their co-ops. I was recently able to travel to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport where I presented what I had accomplished as a co-op to senior management. It was an honor to have several senior managers take the time to meet with co-op students. During the presentations, the vice
president of engineering expressed that it is the goal of the airline to hire their co-ops to full-time positions. I would very much like to be provided with an opportunity for full-time employment with American Airlines, as I have grown so much as an engineer during my time there. It is an industry and a company I could see myself working at during my career.
BMW to anyone in a heartbeat. They are awesome and I am so happy to be working there. “IYouwouldhaverecommend to be motivated to succeed, and have the drive (get it?) to accomplish whatever you set your sights
on. Not everyone is up for it, but those that are would love it here. There is a position for every major as long as you can communicate your passion.
”
Alec Rosenbaum BMW
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 the Co-op Employer of the Year awards recognize the time, effort, and hard work both parties contribute. This is the time of the year to think about those outstanding companies and individuals and to submit nominations for the 2015 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 for Engineering Education. The winner will be flown to the annual conference, this year to be held in Austin, Texas, in February 2016, to receive this recognition along with a plaque and $750 award. Pitt has been recognized with three National Co-op Student of the Year awards and one National Intern of the Year Award in 2014. We have had had many outstanding finalists as well. 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 Co-op Student of the Year nominees will be honored at our annual recognition dinner scheduled for Friday, December 11, 2015, at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. We look forward to accepting your nominations. Please submit your nomination by Friday, October 9, 2015, to Maureen Barcic at paub2m@pitt.edu. Feel free to contact her with any questions pertaining to the nomination process.
really enjoy my job here. All aspects of it make me enjoy going to work every “Iday—the people I get to work with, the atmosphere, and the work I get to do. I feel like I truly get to apply things I’ve learned in the classroom and the engineers I work with continue to try to give me assignments that will build my knowledge and give me hands-on experience.
”
Elizabeth Palko Harley Davidson
love my position at MSA. The people I work with are awesome “Iandabsolutely the work I get to do is fun and important. I’m learning so much about
engineering and business, including many things about the corporate world that I would never learn in a classroom. I love that my job keeps me very busy and allows me to work on many different things each day. I’m very excited to see what else I’ll get to work on before my rotation finishes this semester!
”
Anne Lertola MSA
just want to state that Mascaro is a fantastic employer and treats all its “Iemployees and interns with respect. They want you to learn and will give you assignments that are very important. I enjoy working here and I hope I can continue to work here after graduation.
”
Christopher Walko Mascaro
Dates to Remember Employer Panel Event Tuesday, September 15, 2015 157 Benedum Hall 7–9 p.m. Co-op Mock Interviews Event Thursday, September 17, 2015 William Pitt Union Ballroom 12:30–3 p.m. Annual Fall Co-op Job Fair Tuesday, September 22, 2015 William Pitt Union 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Nomination Deadline for Co-op Student of the Year Friday, October 9, 2015 Contact Maureen at paub2m@pitt.edu Co-op Recognition Dinner* Friday, December 11, 2015 Pittsburgh Athletic Association *for students who have completed their rotations
Annual Spring Co-op Job Fair Tuesday, February 16, 2016 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 engineering.pitt.edu/coop/ Co-op Staff Maureen Barcic Director paub2m@pitt.edu Chris Frankovic Associate Director caf54@pitt.edu LeeAnn Falcon Program Administrator lwf1@pitt.edu Benedetta Khoury Graduate Intern Bek58@pitt.edu Scott Allen Graduate Intern Sma87@pitt.edu The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. Published in cooperation with the Department of Communications Services. DCS103471-0915