UC engineering students recognized for achievement in cooperative education

Harrison Stoelting. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II

Harrison Stoelting worked for five semesters with ARCTOS Technology Solutions supporting materials research efforts in the Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. He performed thermal and mechanical testing of novel polymer composites, manufactured subscale and full scale test articles, and helped develop embedded sensor installation for high speed/temperature tests. He also served as an engineering peer mentor for two years and promoted the growth of UC's co-op program with new and existing employer-partners. Upon graduation he plans to work for the United States Air Force as a civilian developmental engineer.

Jessica Burke conducts water leakage tests on a skylight of a high-rise office building in Seattle in April 2023. Photo/provided

Jessica Burke completed co-ops at Moss and Associates, Messer Construction, and RDH Building Science, Inc. She got to work on a commercial solar site in Florida, contributed to virtual design and construction (VDC) on multiple buildings at UC and across the Midwest, and conducted air leakage and water tests for commercial and residential buildings in Seattle. She also serves as a CEAS Ambassador, a ROAR Tour Guide, a Resident Advisor and a CEAS Program Leader. Upon graduation, Burke will work as an energy and sustainability analyst with RDH Building Science in Toronto.

UC student Tia Current talked to elementary school students about careers in engineering while on co-op with Marathon in El Paso, Texas, April 2022. Photo/Anabelle Chidiac/Marathon

Findlay, Ohio, native Tia Current did four co-op terms at Marathon Petroleum with different assignments in Illinois, Texas, Kentucky and Ohio. In her third term, she led a project that saved more than $100,000 per year in fuel gas. Her can-do attitude and "all-in" approach to challenges made her a standout at Marathon. She is active in the National Society of Black Engineers and is an inspiration to other young women in a male-dominated industry. Current will work for Marathon full-time upon graduation.

Gunnar Smart (far left) engages in an impromptu foam dart battle with his Cole Engineering Solutions coworkers in September 2022. Photo/provided

Gunnar Smart completed co-ops at Festo and Cole Engineering Solutions, where he conducted structural inspections and designs for residential and commercial repairs. Smart's co-op advisor remarked that he "possesses a keen ability to reflect on his learning and understands the value that the co-op experience has brought him as a young professional. Gunnar embraces challenges and is self-motivated, enthusiastic and dedicated." After graduating, Smart will work full-time at Cole Engineering Solutions and plans to pursue licensure as a Professional Engineer.

Allison Meier. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II

Allison Meier gained co-op experience at Honeywell in controls engineering, at Big Ass Fans in firmware engineering, and at GE Aerospace (three terms) in digital technology. Meier has mastered technical skills in embedded systems and made significant impacts by creating organizational efficiencies and improving technologies. She has also shown leadership and service on campus and in GE's co-op program. Meier will graduate with both a bachelor's degree and an MBA and will start a full-time job with GE Aerospace Digital Technology's leadership program.

Sara Marijolovic (right) with co-op advisor Gwen Roemer. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II

Sara Marijolovic completed co-op rotations at Moen, L3Harris and BMW. At BMW, Marijolovic was responsible for developing automated tests for entertainment apps like SiriusXM by using Android Studio, the JUnit test framework, and Kotlin. She also explored a new technology that will expand content availability in BMW vehicles. In addition to her major, Marijolovic earned minors in mathematics and management and a certificate in software engineering while also finding time to perform as a member of UC's Marching Band and Concert Band. After graduation, Marijolovic will work as a software engineer at McDonald's in Chicago.

Alex Platt views the world from the top of a tower crane while on co-op with Garney Construction in Nashville, Tenn., in spring 2021. Photo/provided

Alex Platt took full advantage of opportunities at UC. He completed six co-ops: one each at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Garney Construction and Universal Contracting, and three at Fischer Homes. He also worked part-time for Universal and ODOT during school semesters, added a minor in real estate, and picked up certificates in urban planning and geographic information systems (GIS). He also served on committees in the Construction Students Association. Upon graduation, Platt will work full-time with Fischer Homes.

Abigail Adolfson. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II

Cincinnati native Abigail Adolfson co-op'ed at Standex-Meder Electronics, where she worked on sensor and PCB designs in a team environment, and at ADI-Designs in Singapore through UC's International Co-op Program (ICP), where she worked in additive manufacturing and coding. Her co-op advisor credits her with taking full advantage of opportunities, especially going to Singapore on the ICP program and successfully applying herself to new and challenging environments. After graduating, Adolfson hopes to return to Standex Electronics.

Jeff Urbanowicz surveys the basement of a former Ford plant near Cleveland on his first co-op with Independence Excavating in fall 2021. Photo/provided

Jeff Urbanowicz completed two co-ops with Marathon Petroleum and two with Independence Excavating. At Marathon, Urbanowicz led efforts on projects that laid valuable groundwork for the environmental teams. His supervisors were impressed with the quality of his work, especially since several project elements were entirely new to him. Urbanowicz's co-op advisor also commended his efforts to increase membership in the Society of Environmental Engineers so students could connect with each other and with industry representatives. After graduation, Urbanowicz plans to work in industry ensuring environmental compliance.

Braden Adams (right) with co-op advisor Kate Durso. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II

Kentucky native Braden Adams worked as a co-op at Honda in several roles including quality assurance, processing, and die and mold. Among his notable achievements is saving Honda a significant amount of manufacturing process revenue. Adams has also owned a few businesses and worked in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) between semesters. After graduation, Adams will work as a project manager for an HVAC company in Lexington, Kentucky.

UC student Anna Krizsa (second from right) tours Price Industries with WHS Engineering colleagues while on co-op in Atlanta, Georgia, April 2021. Photo/provided

With five successful co-ops at WHS Engineering (Cleveland), RIDGID Tool Company (Elyria, Ohio) and Modula (Franklin, Ohio), Anna Krizsa has honed an array of technical and interpersonal skills while rotating through roles in HVAC design, product development and operations management. At Modula she digitized scrap metal recording procedures, boosting accuracy by 28%. At RIDGID, she helped cut testing setup times by more than 50%. Her enthusiasm and work ethic have enabled her to maximize her co-op experiences to become an adaptable, well-rounded engineer.

UC student McKinley Myers Addington worked for eight months in Bilbao, Spain through UC's International Co-op Program. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II

A double major in biomedical engineering and Spanish, McKinley Myers Addington participated in UC's first official cohort of the International Co-op Program in Spanish. After a year of cultural, technical and language preparation, she worked for eight months at the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain, where she conducted research on orthopedic implants, used visual coding software to model bone microstructures, and analyzed her designs virtually. Her international experience gives her valuable cultural intelligence and understanding in today's interconnected world.

Ruotong Ming (right) with Joint Co-op Institute program manager Xiaoqun (Sherry) Liao. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II

Beijing native and electrical engineering student Ruotong Ming conducted co-op work and research in robotics and autonomous driving at Volkswagen Group China and several associated key laboratories. She has excelled at the worksite and in the classroom. In addition to applying for patents and authoring publications, she has shown innovation and entrepreneurship by establishing her own company in China based on the results of her co-op work.

• Learn about cooperative education in engineering at UC
• Explore majors and programs at the College of Engineering and Applied Science
• Apply to UC