Making the Connection: Federal Government Agencies &
Cooperative Education Programs
ASEE Conference for Industry &
Education Collaboration
January 25, 2006
San Antonio, Tx
Bryan Dansberry, Assistant Professor
Lou Trent, Assistant Director & Associate Professor
Division of Professional Practice
University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
P.O. Box 210115
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0115
E-mail: bryan.dansberry@uc.edu or
louis.trent@uc.edu
Outline
• Background of Speakers
• An abridged tour of Gov’t Coop
• Do’s and Don’ts of making the
connection
• Security Clearances
• Debate, discussion, and
monologues…..
Dustin Ochoa, AsE ’05
NASA-Johnson Space Center
Background: Bryan
•Co-op Student (AsE Class of ’87)
•Co-op Supervisor
•Co-op Faculty (2002 - ????)
Transonic Dynamics Tunnel
NASA-Langley
Background: Lou
• Intern in Counseling
Psychology.
• Ph.D. in Counseling
Psychology.
• Professional Practice
Advisor, 1978.
• Mainly work with
Mechanical Engineers.
• Worked with federal
agencies for 27+ years.
Defense Contract Management Agency
Gov’t Co-op Programs: The Grand Tour
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NASA - Johnson
Redstone Arsenal
Naval Research Labs
Website Tour
– DOE
Kyle Blakley, CE ’08
Butler County Engineer’s Office
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Johnson Space Center
• JSC’s largest student
employment program
• Average about 160
students/year
• Cover a wide range of
majors
• #1 Source of New Hires
JSC Fall ’05 Co-op Group Photo
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Johnson Space Center
• Centrally Operated
Program
• Very Organized
• Social Activities
• Students rotate
departments
Co-op students acquiring experimental data to
determine maximum rate of hotdog consumption
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Johnson Space Center
“During his first work term at NASA, Joshua Hunter from Georgia Tech,
modified and prepared for use a device known as the Multiple User Cooling
Unit (MUCU) for astronauts’ space suits. Hunter’s design was based on an
initial prototype created by another student employee—Garret Fitzpatrick
from the University of Wisconsin. The MUCU, now in use, keeps astronauts
comfortable when they are outside the shuttle simulator at Johnson Space
Center. “
- Debbie Pierson, GA. Tech.
“Thilini Rangedera, an aerospace engineering co-op from Georgia Tech, has
made great contributions to the International Space Station Training Group.
She is the first co-op student to become certified to teach two electrical
power systems lessons to flight controllers as part of their preparation for
an upcoming Space Station mission. She accomplished this goal during a
four-month co-op tour.” - Robert P. Musgrove, NASA JSC
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Other NASA Centers
Ames Research Center
Dryden Flight Research Center
Glenn Research Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Kennedy Space Center
Langley Research Center
Marshall Space Flight Center
Stennis Space Center
At many NASA centers co-op students rotate thru
wind-tunnel facilities where they learn classic mime
techniques such as “Walking against the wind.”
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Other NASA Centers
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Other NASA Centers
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Redstone Arsenal
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Redstone Arsenal
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Redstone Arsenal
Gov’t Co-op Programs: U.S. Army
Gov’t Co-op Programs:
Don’t expect to get rich!
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Naval Research Labs
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Naval Research Labs
NAVAL RESEARCH LAB
Naval Research Lab’s
Spacecraft Engineering
Department
Overview for Co-Ops &
Expecting Graduates
Outline
• Organization
• History
• Mission Statement and Implications
• Environment & Culture
• Types of Work
• Facilities
• Hiring Facts
• Interviews
Organization
Naval Research Lab - NRL
You Would
Work Here
Naval Center for Space Technology
(Code 8000: 1 of 8 Divisions in NRL)
Spacecraft
Engineering
Department
(Code 8200)
Space Systems
Development
Department
(Code 8100)
History: Timeline & Firsts
84 Satellites Launched
Great Space History and Experience at NRL
Mission Statement & Implications
Mission Driven…NOT Profit Driven
Environment & Culture
• Relatively Close Knit Group : SED (8200) about 125 People
– Will Not Get Lost in a Large Organization
– Management is On a First Name Basis
• Low Structure…“Nuts Running Loose”
– Management & Admin Support per Employee is Relatively Low
– Fosters Creativity & Flexibility
– Provides Tremendous Opportunities to Succeed
– Judged on Capability Not Rank - Often Receive Jobs and Responsibilities Well
Above Your Rank
– However Requires Additional, Pro-Active Effort to Not be Left Behind
• Matrix Organization so Inherent Conflict: 2 Bosses- Formal & Project Boss
• Value “Showing Not Telling”
– Emphasis on Technical Understanding & Ability to Get the Job Done
– We are “Engineers of Research”, not the “Ponderers of Research”
Personality is Important,
Some Thrive in This Environment, Others Do Not
Types of Work
• Mission Design
• Spacecraft Design, Integration, & Test
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Structures
Mechanisms
Cmd Tlm & Data Handling
Thermal
Guidance, Nav, and Control
Power
RF Comms
Flight & Ground Software
Propulsion
Integration & Test
Payloads: Imaging, RF, Comms, etc.
Launch Vehicle Interfacing & Ops
Ground Station & Flight Operations
Orbitology & Mission Planning
Technology Development
Facilities
• State-of-the-Art Design & Testing Facilities
• Mediocre Personal Facilities: Emphasis is on Functional, Not Nice
• No Nice Lobby Entrance, Furniture is Hit or Miss, etc.
Hiring Facts
• Co-oping is a Great Benefit to Both NRL & the Student
– NRL can Train and Evaluate Student
– Student can Learn, Evaluate NRL, and Sort Out Personal Job
Preferences and Expectations
– Procedurally, Allows an Immediate Hiring Decision Upon
Graduation
• Summer Internships
– Will Consider but Generally Not Worth the Time from an NRL
Administrative Point-of View
• Non-Coop Graduates
– Must Openly Advertise & Compete for Job
• Personnel Division Selects Applicants, Not SED (8200)
• Usually Hard to have a Stand-Out Resume Straight Out of
School
– Generally (NOT Always) Hire Through Another Company Until
You Gain Enough Experience to “Stand-Out” in an Open
Competition
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Dept. of Energy
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Dept. of Energy
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Dept. of Energy
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Department of Commerce Internship for Postsecondary Students
Department of Energy Special Emphasis Program
DOE Community College Institute at Oak Ridge National LaboratoryDOE Faculty and Student Teams Program at Oak Ridge National LaboratoryDOE Pre-Service Teacher Internships at Oak Ridge National LaboratoryDOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships at Oak Ridge National LaboratoryEnergy Student Achievement ProgramEnvironmental Management Participation for the U.S. Army Environmental CenterFederal Aviation Administration Asian American/Pacific Islander and Native
American/Alaskan Native Internship ProgramFusion Energy Sciences Fellowship ProgramGlobal Change Education ProgramGreat Lakes Colleges Association/Associated Colleges of the Midwest Oak Ridge Science
SemesterHigher Education Research Experiences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for Students-
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Internship at the Office of WaterLaboratory Technology ProgramNational Energy Technology Laboratory Professional Internship Program-
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Student Research ParticipationNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Educational Partnership Program with
Minority Serving Institutions
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Historically Black Colleges and Universities Student
Research ParticipationOak Ridge National Laboratory Undergraduate Student Cooperative Education ProgramOffice of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Historically Black Colleges and
Universities Undergraduate Scholarship ProgramResearch Participation at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Counterterrorism/Forensic
Science Research UnitResearch Participation at the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological CenterResearch Participation at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical DefenseResearch Participation at the U.S. Army Research LaboratoryResearch Participation Program at the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and
Preventive MedicineSavannah River Site Professional Internship ProgramStudent Research Participation at the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionStudent Research Participation at the National Center for Toxicological ResearchU.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC)U.S. Department of Homeland Security Scholarship and Fellowship Program-
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Undergraduate Student Cooperative Education
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Undergraduate Student Cooperative Education
Program-
Gov’t Co-op Programs: Dept. of Energy
Gov’t Co-op Programs: science.gov
Working Effectively With Federal Agencies
Christopher Hummer, AsE ’08
Received Engineer of the Quarter Award
Aeronautical Systems Center
Do’s & Don’ts: Basic Understanding
• U.S. Citizenship
• No Felonies (may vary)
Zack Norman, Graphic Des. ‘06
National Park Service
Do’s & Don’ts: Good Practices
• Timing
• Web applications
• Tailor resume/experience
• Know your employer
Andrew Sampson EE ’06
Kennedy Space Center
Do’s & Don’ts: Timing
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The Simple Hiring Process
Refer credentials 2.5 months
before hiring date
Credentials screened
Offers extended
Student responds
Robin Ventura AsE ‘06
NASA Langley Research Center
Do’s & Don’ts: Timing
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More Complex Hiring Process
Students apply on-line
Student notifies university to send transcript & letter of eligibility
University sends transcript & letter
Student gets letter from agency
Student responds
Panel of managers review applications
Hiring decisions made – phone interviews
Unofficial co-op offer extended
Student responds
Background information gathered
Official offer extended
Student responds
Do’s & Don’ts: Security Clearance
• Vary from agency to agency
• Types
• Timing
Ryan Stobbs ME ’07
Nevada Automotive Test Center
Do’s & Don’ts: Good Practices
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Timing
Web applications
Tailor resume/experience
Know your employer
Robin Ventura AsE ‘06
NASA Langley Research Center
Do’s & Don’ts: Not So Good Practices
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No citizenship/criminal record
Bad timing
Forget Follow-up
Students applying who have money issues
Stop sending referrals
Do’s & Don’ts: Knowing Your Employer
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Things to Consider
Requirements for employment
Program resources
Employment structure/process
Institutional purpose – benefits
to supervisor
Employer “quirks”
Boyu Wang BME ‘07
Biomedical Ultrasound Lab
Do’s & Don’ts: Secret’s of My Success
General Comments
• Contact as close to the hiring manager level as possible
• Make use of alumni contacts
• Cruise the internet
• Talk to Professors
• Attend technical conferences
• Site visits (student tours?)
Debate and Discussion
Lou Trent, Assistant Director & Associate Professor
Louis.trent@uc.edu
Bryan Dansberry, Assistant Professor
Bryan.dansberry@uc.edu
University of Cincinnati
Division of Professional Practice
P.O. Box 210115
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0115
Christopher Hummer
Aerospace Engineering, 2008
Wright Patterson
Air Force Base
“For my work, I was
nominated for Engineer
of the Quarter at WrightPatterson, and I will be
competing against
career engineers for this
award.”
“I have the ability to predict the behavior of
fluids using supercomputers.”
Andrew Sampson
Electrical Engineering, 2006
NASA Kennedy Space
Center
“you get to see your work
launch into outer space,
with a 1000 foot fireball
trailing behind”
Kyle Blakley
Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2008
“Topics range from
storm water
management,
roadway layout and
design, traffic signal
and speed warrants,
environmental
studies…”
“One of the many bridge projects
completed by our office.”
Ryan Stobbs
Mechanical Engineering, 2007
Nevada
Automotive
Test Center
“The military came to
the company wanting
to test the durability of
a new turret design”
“You fire several hundred 50 caliber machine
gun bullets and drive it through the desert for
several hundred miles”
Robin Ventura
Aerospace Engineering, 2006
NASA
Langley
Research
Center
“to enhance an
aerodynamic model
for a simulation of a
twin-engine transport
aircraft”
“This simulation is now used in to train NASA research
pilots to fly a highly advanced remote control model of
the aircraft and obtain real aerodynamic data”
Zach Norman
Graphic Design 2006
Harpers Ferry
Design Center
“ I had the opportunity to design an award
that was presented to First Lady Laura
Bush”
Brian Kodrich
Aerospace Engineering, 2007
Defense
Contract
Management
Agency
“I can’t go into any
details because of
government
restrictions;
General Electric
and Rolls Royce
proprietary
rights.”
“First Engine to test with
3,000+ sensors installed.”