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OFFICERS/EXECUTIVE BOARD | ANNOUNCEMENTS
ARTICLES | EVENTS/MEETINGS | NEWSMAKERS
STUDENT AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS | PHOTO ALBUM

2006    |    2005   |    2004    |    2003    |    2002

 

2007 Student of the Year Awards
By Patricia Stoudt

Excitement was in the air on June 14, 2007, as two wonderfully outstanding students were honored.

The four-year school award winner is Diana Rodriguez of New Jersey Institute of Technology who was nominated by Sharon Gilbert. Diana worked each summer from 2004 to 2006 as an Engineering Intern at T&M Associates.

During her internship, Diana participated in the steel bridge team from 2004 to 2007 and achieved first place in the Metropolitan area in 2006 and 2007. She participated in the seismic design team from 2005 to 2007 and achieved the Saul K. Fenster Innovation in Design Award from Newark College of Engineering. She actively participated in the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers and worked for two years as a Peer Mentor for the school’s counseling center where she assisted students and facilitated workshops on various issues associated with college life.

Diana recently graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering. She was hired full-time at T&M Associates as an Assistant Staff Designer in the Structural Division.

The two-year school award winner is Kwabena (Kobe) Ofori-Atta, a Chemical Technology major from County College of Morris who was nominated by Al Foderaro. Kobe was unable to attend the award ceremony because he was getting married, but he has requested to come in the fall to thank the NJCEIA personally. Al Foderaro accepted on his behalf.

Since 2006, Kobe has been working as a Co-op Stability Technician in the Underarm Product Development Department at Colgate-Palmolive. During his internship Kobe was responsible in the smooth running of the stability laboratory. Kobe also helps train incoming cooperative education students at Colgate-Palmolive.

In his absence, a statement from Kobe’s biography was read. One thing that stands out from his statement is his sincere gratitude towards the staff of the Cooperative Education department at County College of Morris for all of their support and the determination they showed in securing him an internship position with Colgate-Palmolive. To sum up Kobe’s statement,
“Need I say more? The journey to where I am currently has not been easy. I sure do have a while to go. Nevertheless, I know with the assurance and support that I have benefited from in the past, the journey is endurable and will result in certain success, should I stay true to the course set before me and not deviate from it.”

 


2006 Student of the Year Awards

Four-year School Award

Elaine DiTonno, Cook College Graduate receives 2006 New Jersey Cooperative Education and Internship Association Student of the Year Award (Laurel Van Leer, Elaine DiTonno, and Bruce Crawford are pictured at the Recognition Luncheon)

New Brunswick, NJ – Elaine DiTonno, a recent graduate of Cook College, Rutgers University, was the recipient of the 2006 New Jersey Cooperative Education and Internship Association (NJCEIA) Student of the Year Award.  Elaine was recognized by the NJCEIA for her outstanding work while a cooperative education student and for her involvement in the community through academics and volunteerism. 

As a Cook College cooperative education student, Elaine worked in positions related to her college curriculum while earning a salary and academic credits.  Her co-op education experience with the Cook College Alumni Association included writing a production and marketing plan for alumni notecards and items created from Kilmer Oak (made famous by the poem written by Alfred Joyce Kilmer's poem, "Trees," was a white oak which once stood on the campus of Cook College) wood currently in storage.  She developed a plan to sell items to be crafted from the Kilmer Oak including pens, coasters, and plaques. Elaine also worked as a Sales Department Assistant with Atalanta Corporation, a multinational gourmet foods importing company based in Elizabeth, NJ.  Elaine was awarded a $300.00 scholarship by NJCEIA at a statewide recognition luncheon held at Cook College in New Brunswick, New Jersey on June 1, 2006. 

The NJCEIA scholarship award was established to acknowledge students in New Jersey educational institutions that represent the best of what experiential learning can offer students.   Cook College faculty sponsors, Dr. Donn A. Derr and Professor Ned Lipman, sponsored Elaine during her co-op education employment experiences. Elaine also received the Rutgers--Cook College, Cooperative Education Student of the Year Scholarship Award at a campus-wide recognition luncheon in May of 2006. 

While at Cook College, Elaine was an active participant in the following charitable events:  Locks of Love, Toys for Tots, MS Walk and Relay for Life.  She was also a member of the Cook College Environmental and Business Economics Club.  Elaine graduated as an Edward Bloustein Distinguished Scholar, a Teagle Foundation Scholar, and she completed a semester of study-abroad in Australia.  She graduated with High Honors in May 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Business Economics. 

The Cooperative Education Program at Cook College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey was established in 1974 and had 310 students employed in positions with businesses, government and non-profit agencies during 2005.

 

Two-year School Award

Edward Schruba, a mechanical engineering technology student from County College of Morris, was the 2006 recipient of the Two-Year College New Jersey Cooperative Education and Internship Association (NJCEIA) Student of the Year Award.  He was recognized for his outstanding contributions while employed as a cooperative education student at the United States Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center located at Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, New Jersey.  Ed received a $300 scholarship from NJCEIA at a statewide recognition luncheon held at Cook College in June.

Mr. Schruba worked as an engineering aide and reported to the Director of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Directorate.  During his co-op employment he was assigned to support three engineering teams:  the Robot Applications Team, the Foreign Material Exploitation Team, and the Media Team.  Ed was assigned to all three teams because of his proven ability to multi-task and because his skills were diverse enough to contribute to all three groups. 

During his co-o, Ed was recognized for a number of outstanding accomplishments that included:

  • Building models of foreign ordnance that are used for training aids for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) soldiers.  The displays aid in the instructing of soldiers about the physical features of the ordnance and how the ordnance functions;

  • Performing independent research on the best approach to transport small size robots for short distances.  He did a market search and selected a number of hand carts which he then modified to include a turn table to allow the robot to be rotated on the cart to facilitate testing of the robot; and

  • Reverse engineering scores for foreign ordnance using CAD software.  The ordnance had very challenging geometry and features and Ed’s proficiency in both AutoCAD and PRO-E helped him reverse engineer fuses, projectiles, mines and submunitions.   In addition, he performed quality control of 3-D models developed by other student engineers.

The Robot Team Leader also had Ed assist with testing of on a new low cost Disrupter Cartridge for the RE-70 Standoff Disrupter.  Ed supported the data capture and data analysis associated with the test.  While assisting the Robot Applications Team Leader, Ed organized test data and technical information so that a draft of a Technical Report on the development of the RE-70 Full Bore Plain Slug could be published. 

In addition to these projects, Ed assisted the Director of the EOD Technology Directorate, Joseph Wu, in his personal project to study the existing process for recovering fragments in an Arena Test.  Ed’s role was to prepare the floor plan of the existing building where these operations are performed and to assist consultants in the rendering of their concepts in engineering drawing format using Auto Cad and PRO-E. 

Ed was nominated for the award by both Al Foderaro, Director of Career Services and Cooperative Education at County College of Morris and his supervisor, Joseph Wu.  Mr. Wu, in his endorsement, described Ed as “a mature, helpful, productive co-op student who exuded a strong work ethic with a positive attitude.”  Mr. Schruba’s accomplishments contributed greatly to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Directorate’s success in supporting its mission and the mission of its customers.  Ed helped the Directorate accomplish its mission to train EOD soldiers in foreign ordnance recognition so that, when they are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, they can better perform the mission of rendering safe unexploded foreign ordnance. 

The County College of Morris and Picatinny Arsenal join in saluting Edward Schruba for his outstanding contributions and for being recognized as the 2006 Two-Year College NJCEIA Student of the Year.

 


 

2005 Student of the Year Awards
Amy Bravo

The four-year school award winner was Kibu Abraham, an student from Stevens Institute of Technology. He worked for Stryker Orthopedics and was nominated by Lynn Insley.

 

The two year school award winner was Jhonatan Munoz of County College of Morris. He was nominated by Al Foderaro and worked for Howmet Castings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

2004 Student of the Year Awards
By Amy Bravo

The Student of the Year Awards program provides an opportunity for students, employers, college professionals and family to celebrate the rich experiences that await students involved in cooperative education and internships.

The two year school award winner was Enrique Agapay of Middlesex County College. He was nominated by Barbara Gross and worked for Accutest Labs.

PHOTO  Left to right: Cathy Pearl, Human Resources Manager at Accutest, two-year school award winner Enrique Agapay, and Terri Orosz and Barbara Gross, Middlesex County College.

 

 

 

The four-year school award winner was Michael Phipps, an engineering student from Stevens Institute of Technology. He worked for Stryker Orthopedics and was nominated by Lynn Insley.

PHOTO  Left to right - back row: Peter Verrillo, Manager of Platform Innovation and Michael Phipps  supervisor at Stryker, and four-year school winner Michael Phipps.
Front row: Amy Corona, HR Recruiter at Stryker, Lynn Insley Stevens Institute of Technology, and  Debbie Ackerly, Recruitment Manager at Stryker.

 


 

ARCHIVES

 

2003 Student of the Year Awards
By Terri Orosz

Despite gray skies, spirits were bright on June 5 when the New Jersey Cooperative Education and Internship Association honored three students with the 2003 NJCEIA Student of the Year Award. Hosted by Montclair State University, the awards luncheon was held at the elegant Valley Regency in Clifton. The students’ family, friends, and employers joined NJCEIA members to recognize their accomplishments.

The two-year award winner was Paul Gonzalez, a Mechanical Technology major, from the County College of Morris. He was nominated by Al Foderaro, Director of Career Services and Cooperative Education at CCM and David Zweig, Vice President of Engineering for Glenbrook Technologies in Randolph, New Jersey. As a co-op student at Glenbrook Technologies, Paul, a Product Development Technician, worked on two prototype machines being used to demonstrate x-ray inspection for homeland security.

Evan Juska, from Seton Hall University, was the four-year winner. A Political Science major, he was nominated by Reesa Greenwald, Associate Director of The Career Center at SHU and Carol Lynch, Investigative Paralegal with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in Freehold, New Jersey. During Paul’s summer internship with the Prosecutor’s Office, he drafted a version of the Amber Plan (a public emergency alert system for child abductions) for Monmouth County.
 

The graduate award winner was Edyta Jasinska, also from Seton Hall University. She was nominated by Reesa Greenwald, Associate Director of The Career Center at SHU and by employers from two internships: Mary-Irene Gladney, Human Resources Officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark, New Jersey and Ahmad Kamal, Senior Fellow, from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Edyta worked as a student clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and as a Research Assistant/Intern for UNITAR where she developed reference manuals for the office which provides training sessions primarily for developing countries.

The Student of the Year Awards program provides an opportunity for students, employers, college professionals and family to celebrate the rich experiences that await students involved in cooperative education and internships. This year was no exception. Through their co-op and internship experiences, this year’s recipients had the opportunity to be involved in work that promoted public health, safety, and welfare locally, as well as globally, testimony to the value of real world experience.

 

Cook College Graduate receives
2002 New Jersey
Cooperative Education and Internship Association Student of the Year Award

Cook College Press Release: June 7, 2002

New Brunswick, NJ--Todd Haurin, a recent graduate of Rutgers' Cook College and a resident of TABERNACLE, was awarded the 2002 New Jersey Cooperative Education and Internship Association (NJCEIA) Student of the Year Award. Todd was recognized by the NJCEIA for his outstanding work while a cooperative education student and for his involvement in the community through academics and volunteerism.

As a Cook College cooperative education student, Haurin worked in positions related to his college curriculum while earning a salary and academic credits. His co-op education experience included an internship at the Office of Sustainable Business, a division of the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission, in Trenton, New Jersey as well as a semester with the Union County Division of Parks & Recreation as an Environmental Program Aide/Program Developer. Todd was awarded a $300 scholarship by NJCEIA at a statewide recognition luncheon held at Middlesex Community College in Edison, New Jersey on June 6, 2002.

The NJCEIA scholarship award was established to acknowledge students in New Jersey educational institutions that represent the best of what experiential learning can offer students. Cook College faculty sponsors, Dr. Donn A. Derr, professor, agricultural, food and resource economics and Dr. George F. Clark, professor, human ecology, advised Haurin during his co-op education employment experiences. The Cook College Cooperative Education Student of the Year Scholarship Award was presented to Todd at a campus-wide recognition luncheon in April of 2002. He was also a finalist for the Cooperative Education & Internship Association and the Cooperative Education Division of the American Society of Engineering Education National Student of the Year Award in December 2001.

While at Cook College, Todd was an active member of Kappa Theta Epsilon National Honor Society, Alpha Zeta Honors Fraternity, and the campus Leadership Committee among many others. He graduated with High Honors in May 2002 with a dual degree in Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior and Environmental and Business Economics. Todd strongly believes in protecting our environment through initiatives that will benefit the community and the environment, while promoting economic growth in the process. He plans to work in the environmental field and later attend graduate school.

The Cooperative Education Program at Cook College, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey was established in 1974 and had 305 students employed in positions with businesses, government and non-profit agencies during the 2001-2002 academic year. Students earned an average of $4,000 each semester with total student earnings at $1,085,278 in the past year.

 

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