Tumi Adeeko (left) and Cole Sexton (right)

Congratulations to our 2021 Youngstown State University College of STEM Intern & Co-op of the Year! They make us proud to be Penguins! 

Intern of the Year

Cole Sexton, a senior Chemical Engineering student, interned in the Paint Department Lordstown Motors Corporation, an electric vehicle automaker located in Lordstown, Ohio. His largest projects were managing the installation of new equipment and partaking in the training of LMC Associates on proper equipment operation. Additionally, he coordinated a team to perform repairs to water pipes supplying the paint booths in order to increase water flow and reduce paint quality defects. Based on this experience, his interest in the automotive industry has grown and will be among the industries he will apply to for full-time positions upon his Spring 2022 graduation.

Co-op of the Year

Tumininu Adeeko, a junior Mechanical Engineering student, served as a Wen H. Ko Intern with the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center at the Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center under Dr. Janet L. Gbur. Her two projects were the "Mechanical characterization of Nitinol wires used in orthodontics" and the "Incorporation of NanoJet aerosol printing for use in clinical devices." Based on this experience, Tumi is hoping to pursue further education through a graduate program in Materials Science.

Additionally, we would like to recognize Muhammad Riaz, a junior Chemical Engineering Student, as the first Honorable Mention for the STEM Intern of the Year Award for his outstanding work with PPG Industries.