Stevens Co-operative Ed students get overseas assignments

HOBOKEN, N.J. — While most students have headed back to campus for the fall semester, two Stevens undergraduates, Ben Slivka and Melissa Lambour, have left for Stuttgart, Germany for a cooperative education (co-op) work assignment.

The students will be working for M.C. Dean, Inc., the leading multidisciplinary technical services contractor headquartered in Washington D.C. Established in 1949, the firm specializes in design/build, installation, systems integration, testing and follow on maintenance for all classes of power, electronics and communication systems.

Ben Slivka, an Electrical Engineering major from Teaneck, N.J., says, “I’m happy to be presented with this great opportunity. This overseas co-op experience will be an asset to my undergraduate education at Stevens.”

Melissa Lambour, an Electrical Engineering major from Manchester, N.J., is excited about being one of the first Stevens Undergraduates to work for M.C. Dean in Germany. This is truly an experience of a lifetime and I am grateful for having been chosen out of so many co-op candidates.”

The student’s assignments will involve revamping security systems, putting together as-built documentation for existing systems, server and host relocation plans and graphic interface design for the front end. They will also be involved in the design of an Intrusion Detection system.

Stevens alumnus Eli Bloomstein, BE ‘04, arranged the assignment. Eli participated in the cooperative education program and found himself in a position to create an opportunity for students from his alma mater. MC Dean, in Washington, employed Eli after his graduation from Stevens.
In addition, the students will benefit from the Four Fund. The Fund was established in memory of Ernest E. Four, class of 1949. His desire was to support the professional development of undergraduates in international business. The Fund paid for the travel expenses of the Stevens students.

The Co-op program at Stevens is an academic program where students gain practical experience in the major or career of their choice. Catherine Rooney, Senior Associate Director of the program states, “Co-op at Stevens is a dynamic educational process. The alternation between rigorous classroom study and multiple professional work assignments provides a complete real-world education. This international opportunity will add a global outlook to Ben’s and Melissa’s educational experience.”

For more about the Stevens Co-op program, please visit //www.stevens.edu/co-op

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 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time 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.  

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