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 2017
LaVallee Named National Co-op Student of the Year Kendra LaVallee was chosen as the 2017 Co-op Student of the Year by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Cooperative & Experiential Education Division. She is a chemical engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh and completed her yearlong co-op at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (J&J). She will attend the annual ASEE conference in Jacksonville, Fla., in February to receive this award. She is the fourth University of Pittsburgh student to be named Co-op Student of the Year, tying Georgia Institue of Technology for the most student winners (ceed.asee. org/coop_past_winners.html). LaVallee also was selected as the University’s Swanson School of Engineering Co-op Student of the Year for all of her accomplishments as a technical operations co-op student at J&J. She was nominated by her manager, Steve Won. She exceeded expectations during her co-op and was awarded six Johnson & Johnson Encore Awards: four gold, one silver, and one bronze. “As part of the technical operations team at J&J, I executed projects to improve product quality, streamline processes, and save money,” LaVallee says. “Rather
than performing transactional duties like a typical intern, I was entrusted with strategic responsibility. My management team was interested in my professional development and provided Kendra LaVallee and U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering Gerald D. Holder me with opportunities to learn and grow.” academics to industry, then upon my LaVallee worked on several projects, return to Pitt, understand the industrial including the international launch of a relevance of my studies.” major GI product with estimated annual sales of $40 million and led the She has an outstanding academic record continuous improvement process for an and is very involved at Pitt. She was a alternative analytical procedure for the research assistant for the biomaterials company’s highest-selling product, with laboratory of Dr. Prashant Kumta. There, a yearly projected savings of $375,000. she engineered polymeric materials with She also was the professional developload-bearing biodegradable properties. ment chair of the Intern Co-op AssociaShe worked with a biomaterial like magtion and planned presentations and netnesium, which our body is familiar with, working events for more than 30 co-op instead of something like titanium, which students. Her co-op experience at Johnis foreign to the body. son & Johnson has led her to pursue a She is involved with numerous clubs at Certificate in Supply Chain Management. Pitt, including The Honors Chemical Engi“Pitt’s rigorous chemical engineering program equipped me with the tools necessary to succeed during co-op,” LaVallee says. “Co-oping at J&J has been the best decision of my undergraduate career. I was able to apply my
neering Society, Omega Chi Epsilon, the Service & Fundraising Committee Member of Phi Sigma Rho, and the Women’s Engineering Conference Publicity Chair for the Society of Women Engineers. She will graduate in fall 2017.