Full Circle
When Bruce Lavash and Shellie Porter graduated from the College of Engineering, they found their first jobs by visiting the college’s Engineering Career Services office.
Now, having established successful careers at Procter&Gamble, they’re back on campus, looking for employees of their own.
Lavash,’77 and ’78 M.S. ME, and Porter, ’00 CHE, volunteer as members of the recruiting team at P&G, which has hired nearly 40 Ohio State engineering graduates through the Career Services office since 2004.
“It’s fantastic because I know it’s my way of giving back to the college that did so much for me,” says Porter, who is the section head of Fabric Care New Business Development at P&G.“Since I’ve gone through it, I know the students are prepared and ready, and I feel confident in the people I bring in.”
Lavash, now recognized by P&G as a Victor Mills Society Research Fellow for his sustained record in business innovation at the company, says one great advantage Ohio State has in placing graduates in jobs is its rising university and engineering reputation.
He and Porter credit the college’s First-Year Engineering program with giving students the basic skills of engineering as well as teamwork and leadership capabilities.
“When they come and interview with me on campus or at P&G, they do very well. When I say,‘Tell me a story about when you applied your engineering to a real problem,’ they can tell a story,” Lavash says.
Rick Carlisle,’93 ME, a staff engineer at Honda Engineering North America, also wants to hear those stories when he recruits employees. A member of the GM/SAE Natural Gas Truck Challenge team when he was at Ohio State, Carlisle especially likes to interview students who have participated in similar projects, like the Mini-Baja off-road vehicle.
“Students who have that type of background on their resumes catch my eye,” he says.
GE employee and Ohio State alumna Jessica Licardi, like Carlisle, Lavash and Porter, found her first job through the college’s Career Services office.
“The GE-OSU recruiting team enjoys coming to campus for the Job Expo and interviews because we know we will be presented with a large number of students who have a solid educational background to build on and excellent problem-solving skills, can communicate effectively, have a knowledge of contemporary issues and will be well-prepared to enter the workforce,” says Licardi, ’03 CER and ’06 M.S. MSE, a ceramic matrix composite development engineer.
GE has offered more than 350 co-op and intern positions to Ohio State engineering students since 2004 and, as of 2006, employed more than 750 Ohio State alumni.
Rosemary Hill, director of Ohio State’s Engineering Career Services, says it’s common for engineering alumni to return to campus when they’re seeking new employees.
“It’s fun to see somebody I remember from when they were a student come back here to recruit,” says Hill, who has worked for Career Services since 1989.
Ohio State’s engineering students are recruited by local, regional and national employers. Each year, hundreds of employers use the Engineering Career Services online recruiting system or travel to campus for interviews or career fairs.
“As a result,” Hill says, “more than 75 percent of the college’s graduating seniors have firm plans even before commencement, with the majority already having obtained jobs. Many others have decided to pursue graduate or professional degrees or plan to pursue volunteer or military commitments.”
The Buckeye Connection
Once they are employed, the engineering alumni maintain their Ohio State ties through networking.
“We’re very close,” Porter says. “I would say some of my biggest mentors in the company are Ohio State grads, because we all look out for each other’s success.”
There’s no shortage of Buckeye celebrations, either.
Lavash hosts an intern and new hire gathering for P&G Buckeyes at his residence each year.
“I’ve got one of those obnoxious 9-foot inflatable Brutuses, and I wear an Ohio State Hawaiian shirt,” he says. “We go all out. The idea is to get everyone connected right away.”
Licardi likewise stays connected with other Ohio State alumni at GE.
“I and many others proudly display the largest Ohio State flag we can fit on our office or cubicle walls,” she says. “We all work hard here, but we always take time to watch the Bucks.”
Beyond the Interviews
In addition to employee-related functions, the companies foster other interaction with the college.
“The ties between OSU and GE are very strong,” Licardi says, noting that Jim Williams, former College of Engineering dean and a professor of materials science and engineering, was the general manager of GE’s Materials&Process Engineering Department before joining Ohio State. In addition, Mike Benzakein, chair of the college’s aerospace engineering department, is the former general manager of advanced engineering responsible for research and development at GE Aviation.
Lavash and Porter are themselves instructing students in the college. This spring they are team-teaching a class called“Holistic Design: Designing and Delivering Consumer Experiences,” in which the students will work together to design a cell phone and something they can use to carry the things they need for classes and other activities all day.
“This class teaches you what the right technical challenges are to solve so you can really design products that make a difference in consumers’ lives,” Porter says.
Lavash, who also has given guest lectures in mechanical engineering and chemical engineering classes, says he enjoys helping young people grow into successful engineers who hopefully, like him, will find satisfaction in solving problems to improve the lives of others.
“I’d like to see some number of students be really excited about this and say this is what they want to do with themselves,” he says. “I hope they find their passion in this thing I’ve enjoyed for so many years.”
