- 2005 OCEA Awards Winners
- 2006 OCEA Awards Winners
- 2008 OCEA Awards Winners

2006 OCEA Award and Scholarship Winners!

OCEA High School Scholarship Winner

To Be Announced

OCEA Co-op of the Year
2-Year Scholarship Winner

To Be Announced

OCEA Co-op of the Year
4-Year Scholarship Winner

To Be Announced

2006 E. Sam Sovilla Award for Excellence

Cooperative Education at Case Western Reserve University has experienced substantial growth since the program started in 1980. Over 25 years, leadership in the program has remained effectual and consistent. As a result, 2,132 Case co-op students have worked at 543 different companies, under the guidance of just three Program Directors. Case is one of only a handful of institutions that has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education which clearly demonstrates their educational quality.

The two most recent Directors, Mary Rose Tichar and Debbie Fatica, have each received the “Educator Member of the Year” award from OCEA and have each served as President of OCEA.

The Office of Engineering Student Programs (OESP), and academic office, develops programs and opportunities that enhance the curricular programs and designs and implements assessment tools that garner feedback on the curriculum and preparedness of students of the Case School of Engineering.

The Co-op Office has a wonderful reputation on campus as a place where “the staff is very helpful and they really care about students.” As a result, approximately 40% of the students in the Case School of Engineering participate in this Program, which is optional. The Case Co-op program also receives strong support from the University on many levels. Dr. John Anderson, Provost & University Vice President writes that “ the Co-op Program is prominent on the palette of experiential educational opportunities available to students. The transformative mission of Cooperative Education matches that of our University. The mutual goal of our dedicated staff and the set of faculty Co-op advisors is to ensure that assignments have significant academic content and responsibility”

One hallmark of the Co-op Office is a high standard for professional and personal responses to the inquiries and needs of every participant. Company development remains a fundamental aspect of the Case Program. While a few companies have been participating for nearly a quarter-century, new partnerships are forged with approximately 25 companies every year. The Co-op Director guides each new partner as they plan to create the conditions for meaningful learning experiences where classroom theory can be integrated with real life work experience. Once the student returns to campus after a co-op assignment, a Co-op Learning Presentation with the staff and faculty is arranged to evaluate the total experience.

You may wish to visit the program web site: http://www.oesp.case.edu/

2006 OCEA Employer Member of the Year

Karen Clark has brought a high level of commitment and quality to the cooperative education program at GE Aviation. She has been responsible for their early identification program for many years and had turned it into the stellar program that it is today.

General Electric co-op students receive an education that is unique. In addition to their academic requirements, students rotate through various departments of the company where they are encouraged to customize their co-op program to fit their unique learning goals. In addition, co-op students are interviewed for inclusion in the company’s leadership training program that is rated as one of the top five training programs in the country. GE focuses on student learning. The evaluation criteria for co-op students corresponds to the preferred learning outcomes of the top educational institutions and includes self-confidence, initiative, communication, change facilitation, relationship building, influence, team leadership, decisiveness, concern for effectiveness and technical ability. GE also provides financial assistance to cooperative education students. Starting salaries for their co-op students are well above average and include incremental raises for each returning co-op work term. GE also provides housing allowances to enable students to relocate. Many co-op students have earned bonuses for innovative ideas that they contributed to GE.

General Electric has been a staunch supporter of cooperative education, not only at the University of Cincinnati, but also at many colleges and universities across the United States. At UC alone, General Electric has filled 770 co-op positions during the last three years all under the watchful eye of Karen Clark.

Karen Clark has contributed to Ohio Cooperative Education through presenting at OCEA Conferences and serving as a member of the OCEA Conference Committee. She is currently working with the University of Cincinnati to bring the Vice President of GE Aviation to the NCCE Corporate Symposium as a keynote speaker on June 20, 2006 in celebration of 100 years of cooperative education at UC.

General Electric is a role model of excellence in cooperative education. By providing co-op students with a fantastic opportunity to obtain practical experience, GE fulfills all of the goals of cooperative education. Karen Clark is a big part of their excellence.

2006 OCEA Educator Member of the Year

Kelly Harper has been in the field of Cooperative Education for over nine years working at both Cincinnati State Technical & Community College and Northern Kentucky University. While working with students in Business and Liberal Arts and Science, she has facilitated over 1500 co-op placements.

Kelly served as the first non-Ohio school representative to be President of OCEA from 2004-2005. Kelly has also acted as President-Elect; served on the CEIA Conference Committee and Centennial Celebration; Co-Chaired Annual Conference; was Membership Chair, Secretary; and Co-Chair of the Employer Relations Committee.

Under her leadership at NKU, she expanded the co-op program focusing on targets of growth and the addition of two new coordinators with special focus in Liberal Arts and Science. Kelly has shown a great commitment to building partnerships that benefit students, employers and educators.

She has presented for the World Association of Cooperative Education: “Blackboard – Chalk-Incorporating Distance Education Technology Into Your Co-op Program”. At MCEA, she collaborated with Procter & Gamble on “Creating Brand Loyalty On Campus”. She has presented for OCEA conferences such topics as “Thomas More TAP Program Recommendations on OCEA’s Long Term Vision”; “Parallel Co-op Programs”; “Computer Friend or Foe: Technology Topics Relating to Co-op”; and a panel discussion on “An Educator View of Cooperative Education”. For the National Academy for Work Integrated Learning, she presented “Train the Trainer”. She has served MCEA as Ohio State Representative; on the Strategic Planning Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Annual Conference.

One of her nominators said that Kelly possesses genuine care and compassion for the people with whom she works. She leads by building relationships, and simultaneously, communicating her vision and strategy to build a strong team. Kelly Harper’s commitment to Cooperative Education is never ending”.

She challenges students to go beyond their comfort zone and has instructed them using various mediums and is well-versed in teaching in a variety of career development related courses. Clearly, Kelly’s service and leadership is delivered with enthusiasm and professionalism.

Student comments include: “Kelly Harper worked hard to ensure I found an effective Co-op position”. “She teaches professionalism through example and in Co-op Seminars. Her professionalism shows in her dress, interactions with others. Also, she gives great presentations. The Kelly Harper brand name is one she can be proud of.” “Kelly took the time to coach me, to bolster my confidence and to celebrate with me as I received three job offers”.

Kelly is an outstanding educator and truly deserving of the OCEA Educator of the Year award.

2006 OCEA Research Awards

To Be Announced