Class of 2010 student discovers “What it Means to Be an Engineer”

HOBOKEN, N.J. ― Victoria Theese ’10 was excited about her internship from the start. She knew that her friend’s experience at Vinatoru Enterprises of Pompton Plains, NJ was very hands on, and being her first formal engineering position, she wanted the exposure to as many facets of mechanical engineering and design as possible. By summer’s end, Victoria got all the experience she had hoped for.

Originally from Wantage, N.J., Victoria graduated from High Point High School in 2006, where she excelled in math and physics. “I liked those classes, so everyone told me that’s what I should do, be an engineer. Until I got to Stevens I never had a technology-based class, and even after my first few semesters, I didn’t quite understand what an engineer does.” That’s why her first engineering internship was so critical. “I always felt like the underdog at Stevens. It sounds silly, but up until this summer I never really understood what I was doing. I would just do it until it was right, but now that I’ve seen my coursework applied, it makes sense.”

Being a package engineering firm, Vinatoru Enterprises gave Victoria the opportunity to strengthen her technical skills, particularly in mechanical drawing. At Stevens, she spent a semester working with SolidWorks, but learned CAD and ProE from on the job. She’s quickly learning and finds complex tasks becoming simpler every day. “I wasn’t very good with computers, and being at Stevens, I could always find someone to help me out with homework problems. On the job, I find myself working more independently, and pushing myself to solve problems on my own.”

In the last year, President Mihai Vinatoru has brought on three Stevens interns to his firm, which specializes in the design and manufacturing of testing instruments. Such instruments are used in quality control for packages that are required to be sterile and meet usage requirements. Mr. Vinatoru is pleased to find these undergraduates contributing to the core of business. “Products from Mott's applesauce to blister packages for prescription tablets require seals that maintain the product's integrity, but are still easy to open by the consumer,” explains Mr. Vinatoru. “ Victoria has been designing fixtures and instruments that test packaging, with a focus on these types of seals.”

Generally, Mr. Vinatoru comes up with the rough idea. Victoria then makes a 3D drawing on Pro-E, a CAD (Computer-aided design) solid modeling software tool. “I alter it until Mihai approves, after which I create a CAD drawing and send it to the machine shop. Alterations are made until the piece is just right.”

Victoria has found working with a small company very gratifying. “I get to see the process every step of the way. It starts with the client sending in what needs to be tested, gets followed by designing the instrument and fixture that does the testing, of course then making the instrument and coming up with a procedure to test the product, to finally shipping the whole product out.” It’s also important for her to see the tangible results of her work. “It is really rewarding seeing the things you design be made. They were once ideas in your head or just images on a computer, so to actually hold it and for it to actually work like you meant it to is really exciting!”

She has learned many important lessons on the job. “One of the first things I discovered is that just because the math works out and the fixture works out in theory, it does not mean the fixture is actually going to work,” remembering several parts that looked perfect on the computer screen but never fit together. “I made a few components that were too tight. It’s so easy to forget about tolerances and that the machine doesn’t cut perfectly, so you have to always leave 0.005" of extra space just in case the piece is too big.”

According to Mr. Vinatoru, all of the students have similar “realizations” throughout their employment, which they can then take back to the classroom. “The opportunity to be tested in a real work environment naturally comes with obstacles, and overcoming them results in self confidence.”

Victoria ’s experience tells the same story. In just a few months, she has gained not only confidence in herself, but also in her choice of career Victoria recommends internships to Stevens undergraduates just for that reason. “In school you get the ‘how’ to do it, and now I finally understand the ‘why’ I need it,” citing the applicability of her Engineering Graphics course.

For the employer, internships can act as extended interviews. “To me, an intern is a potential full-time employee, and having the chance to evaluate him or her is what I will be looking for”, notes Mr. Vinatoru. “For a small or medium company, I see the internship program as an opportunity to know someone before extending a formal offer of employment, and for the intern an opportunity to demonstrate that he or she can be a productive team member.”

Mr. Vinatoru has seen that Stevens interns set themselves apart from students at other schools from which he’s hired. “The school is matching the curriculum to the needs of the industry, which is vital, because theoretical and practical training go hand in hand.” Mr. Vinatoru recommends taking on Stevens interns to other employers. ”In our industry, it is expected that Stevens, having higher admission standards and an outstanding engineering program, produces great students. My experience shows that is the case, and I’m happy to introduce more Stevens engineers to our field.”

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,040 undergraduate and 3,085 graduate students, and a worldwide online enrollment of 2,250, with a full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty of 140 and more than 200 full-time special faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

For the latest news about Stevens, please visit StevensNewsService.com.