Pitt Swanson School of Engineering Cooperative Education Program in partnership with the School of Computing and Information and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Engineering Division
Pitt Produces More ASEE Co-op Award Winners than Any Other University The Cooperative & Experiential Education Division (CEED) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) recognizes outstanding co-op students with its Co-op Student of the Year award. Pitt students have won the award in three of the last six years and five times overall, which is the most of any university. 2019 Julie Shields, IE, FedEx Supply Chain 2017 Kendra LaVallee, ChemE, Johnson & Johnson 2014 Howard Wang, ChemE, Lubrizol Corporation 2002 Kristy Petrosky, IE, Delco Electronics Corporation 2000 Jelena Tudman, ChemE, E.I. DuPont
Spring 2019
Julie Shields Named National Co-op Student of the Year Recognizing her exceptional performance at FedEx Supply Chain, University of Pittsburgh graduating senior Julie Shields was selected as the 2019 national Co-op Student of the Year by the Cooperative and Experiential Education Division (CEED) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Shields received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering this December, having completed three four-month rotations with FedEx Supply Chain and joined the company this January. During her third rotation, Shields played a critical role in a competitive bid for a major company. Based on her performance during her first two rotations, she was trusted to represent FedEx during the initial phases of the bid process. Impressed by her success, Fedex selected her as lead engineer on the project and developed plans for a new 1 millionsquare-foot building with automation. This design helped to secure a win for the company. “The victory was a monumental event for FedEx,” said Matthew Voycik, a project engineering manager at FedEx Supply Chain. “Julie had a huge part in this, and I am very proud of how she responded under
adversity. She showed courage throughout the entire design process by bringing ideas to the table to create a winning design for FedEx.” Within FedEx, Shields received two Bravo Zulu awards, the second highest performance award at the company. “Most students have positive experiences during their co-op rotations; however, few students have the opportunity to be the owner of work that affects not only the entire company, but also an external company,” said Shields. “As a co-op, I designed two complex warehouses, presented those designs to executives and senior managers, and was a critical part of winning a large bid for FedEx Supply Chain. As a full-time engineer, I will see my designs constructed and come to life.” Shields received the national Co-op Student of the Year award at the ASEE Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration on January 30, 2019, and attended the CEED Awards Reception to celebrate with the other award winners. While at the Swanson School, Shields participated in the First-year Engineering Conference as co-chair and mentored 10 freshman students during their second semester. She also was involved in Pitt’s Incline Consulting Group, which involves students in providing pro bono consulting work to Pittsburgh organizations. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh on December 9, 2018. “We are extremely proud of Julie. She is an excellent student in and out of the classroom and a wonderful representative of Pitt industrial engineering graduates,” said Karen Bursic, associate professor and undergraduate program director of industrial engineering.
U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering James R. Martin II, PhD, M. ASCE and Julie Shields