{"154511":{"#nid":"154511","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Celebrates Century of Co-Op Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf any single initiative embodies the Georgia Tech ethos of applying academic knowledge to real-world situations, it\u2019s the Institute\u2019s Cooperative Education Program. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the past century, the thousands of students who have excelled during their co-op assignments and in their careers have served as a testament to the program\u2019s impact. A prime example is Sarah Rieger, a 2010 Aerospace Engineering graduate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile working in the Orbit Flight Dynamics group at Johnson Space Center in Houston, I had the opportunity to train for a supporting position in Mission Control,\u201d said Rieger, who now works with NASA. \u201cI also was able to complete the certification of a program that is now used by the flight dynamics officer. After I came back to school, I saw the benefits of the skills that I learned in Houston. I noticed that organization and time management came much more easily to me than they did before co-oping. I also had an even stronger motivation to do well in my classes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Tech\u2019s Co-op Program, the largest totally optional program and fourth oldest program of its kind in the nation. The program is consistently included in U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u2019s \u201cBest Colleges Internships\/Co-ops\u201d list. Co-op is a part of Tech\u2019s Division of Professional Practice (DOPP), which also includes the Graduate Co-op, Internship and Work Abroad programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI believe in learning with a purpose,\u201d said Patrick R. Antony, executive director of DOPP. \u201cTo apply knowledge to practical solutions that make the world a better place is the cornerstone of what Georgia Tech does. Many successful alumni owe their professional and personal success to the program, as they would not have been able to afford their education at Tech without it. We look forward to the entire Georgia Tech community participating in the celebration of a century of cooperative education, which is just a tremendous milestone.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 100th anniversary celebration \u2014 which will begin in fall 2012 \u2014 will consist of a yearlong series of events, kicking off with a 100th Birthday Bash on Sept. 18 from 11 a.m. to noon at Clough Commons. The year of celebratory events is being planned and managed by Thomas M. Akins, who retired in 2010 as DOPP executive director following a Georgia Tech career of more than three decades.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am looking forward to coordinating this significant event in Georgia Tech\u2019s history,\u201d Akins said. \u201cAs part of the effort, there will be a strong campaign to create endowment funds for the continued successful operation of Co-op and the other programs within the Division of Professional Practice. The goal is to raise over $5 million to ensure that students will be able to take full advantage of all types of experiential education, thus better preparing them for life after graduation from Tech. With state funds shrinking and the cost of attending college rising at an alarming rate, there is a critical need to assist students in a meaningful way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf any single initiative embodies the Georgia Tech ethos of applying academic knowledge to real-world situations, it\u2019s the Institute\u2019s Cooperative Education Program.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"If any single initiative embodies the Georgia Tech ethos of applying academic knowledge to real-world situations, it\u2019s the Institute\u2019s Cooperative Education Program."}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2012-09-17 09:37:58","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:50","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"154311":{"id":"154311","type":"image","title":"Cooperative Education Program","body":null,"created":"1449178859","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:40:59","changed":"1475894787","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:27","alt":"Cooperative Education Program","file":{"fid":"195250","name":"co-op.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/co-op_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/co-op_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2532502,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/co-op_0.jpg?itok=RVmGJ4io"}}},"media_ids":["154311"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.coop100.gatech.edu\/","title":"Co-Op Centennial Website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"43521","name":"100 years of co-op education"},{"id":"43541","name":"100th anniversary"},{"id":"2180","name":"co-op"},{"id":"43531","name":"cooperative education program"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:daniel.treadaway@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDan Treadaway\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}