Cameron Crippa Named 2016 Herman Schneider Medalist

The annual Herman Schneider Medal award was initiated in 1964 through a bequest of the late Louise Bosworth Schneider. It is awarded to a senior for distinction as an exemplary co-op student--one who has taken fullest advantage of the unique opportunities of a cooperative education.

To-date, Cameron Crippa has gained invaluable experience at several co-op sites, including an international rotation at the University of Cincinnati

College of Engineering and Applied Science

(UC-CEAS) Chongqing University (CQU)

Joint Co-op Initiative (JCI)

.

At the UC-CQU JCI in China, Crippa learned how to adapt and function in a multicultural social and professional environment. As a student ambassador and teaching assistant at UC-CQU JCI, Crippa held a great number of responsibilities, including assisting and team-teaching MATLAB-based computer programming courses, as well as providing one-on-one instruction with students. “Additionally, I acted as primary liaison between international students and UC professors, which greatly enhanced my communication skills,” he explains.

Crippa also co-oped as a lab assistant at the University of Cincinnati Acoustic Liner Research Laboratory, and was a LabView programmer at

GoHypersonic Inc

—a hypersonic propulsion systems research facility in Dayton, OH.

As a LabView programmer at GoHypersonic Inc., Crippa wrote a LabVIEW-based program to control and collect data for a hypersonic wind tunnel. LabVIEW software is designed to increase the productivity of engineers by, “translating their ideas into reality, reduce test times, and deliver business insights based on collected data.”1 “This experience,” explains Crippa, “allotted me the opportunity to advance my understanding of safety procedures concerning hypersonic wind tunnels, and enhance my technical writing skills by creating a user manual detailing the use and setup of my LabVIEW program from start to finish.”

Taking full advantage of the unique co-op opportunities that CEAS has to offer, during the upcoming summer semester Crippa will begin his fourth and final co-op rotation at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington D.C. This extended co-op position will last for eight months.

“The co-op program here at UC offers excellent experiences not just in the US but all over the world. My advice to other engineering students is to take advantage of these opportunities and broaden not just your professional horizons but also your social and cultural horizons. The difficulties and hardships are minimal compared to the experiences that can be gained,” says Crippa.

Cameron Crippa extends his deepest gratitude to the

CEAS Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (AEEM)

and several faculty members for the nomination and award of the 2016 Herman Schneider Medal. He concludes, “It is an honor to represent the AEEM department, and I would like to specifically thank AEEM professor, James Tappel, for extending all of the amazing co-op opportunities that are made available to aerospace engineering students.”

1

http://www.ni.com/labview/