{"id":100877,"date":"2020-10-08T07:10:36","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T12:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=100877"},"modified":"2020-10-28T17:06:20","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T22:06:20","slug":"mechanical-engineering-students-cope-during-co-op","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/mechanical-engineering-students-cope-during-co-op\/","title":{"rendered":"Mechanical Engineering Students Thrive during Extended Co-op"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

UM mechanical engineering student Boston Sharp works with machinery at Olin-Winchester\u2019s ammunition manufacturing plant. Sharp is completing a fall co-op internship there. (Submitted photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

University of Mississippi junior mechanical engineering<\/a> majors Noah Franks and Boston Sharp chose wisely when they decided to extend their co-op internships.<\/p>\n

Originally, they were both in the middle of their internships at the Olin-Winchester ammunition manufacturing plant in Oxford last spring. After COVID-19 abruptly altered the company\u2019s workforce and future internships were halted by the university, the two students sought and were granted extensions into and through the fall semester.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to make a choice: either return to school off a semester and try to piece together an engineering schedule that does not leave much room for flexibility, or approach my boss and Winchester about extending my co-op<\/a> for a second semester,\u201d said Sharp, a junior mechanical engineering major from Helena, Alabama. \u201cI chose the latter and am the happier for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franks said he shares a similar attitude toward his own co-op experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI chose mechanical engineering as a major because I love to work with my hands and problem solve,\u201d said the Water Valley native. \u201cIn doing my co-op, it made me even more firm in my decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Noah Franks is a process engineer co-op intern at Olin-Winchester\u2019s manufacturing plant. The UM mechanical engineering major works with full-time employees on quality control and problem-solving projects. (Submitted photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

Both Franks and Sharp work as process engineering co-op interns. Both students are proving to be exceptional in many respects, said Steve Davis, lead manager of process engineering and metals lab at Olin-Winchester.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoston never backs down from a challenge, not afraid to ask questions, and will seek out relevant information to solve a problem,\u201d Davis said. \u201cNoah has a passion to help others and contribute to the continuous improvement process so critical to manufacturing operations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each intern described his responsibilities within the organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cI work as a type of troubleshooter both out on the manufacturing floor and in my cubicle,\u201d Sharp said. \u201cI have never felt nor been treated like a co-op.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharp\u2019s duties include collaborating with fellow full-time process engineers to investigate and solve any problems that may arise within the production process.<\/p>\n

He also coordinates with his bosses, the foreman and individual adjusters to run trials that modify aspects of multiple calibers of cartridges to continuously improve the Winchester product for the consumer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI may be required to take all types of measurements of any individual component and compile that information to make a report to my boss, reporting my findings and giving my opinion on how to proceed based on the project I am currently working on,\u201d Sharp said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also help to create engineering change orders, which documents any type of changes we are making to tooling, machines, specifications and so forth within the manufacturing process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frank\u2019s responsibilities include writing engineering trial test plans, designing or modifying both old and new tools, working with all supervisors and plant workers to increase plant efficiency, and identify any potential problems \u2013 both present and future.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I finish my co-op full time in May 2021, I will take the summer and start back school full time in August in hopes to finish in three semesters,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Franks and Sharp both said they decided to attend Ole Miss because of the reputation of the engineering programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOle Miss\u2019 engineering programs have come a long way in recent years,\u201d Franks said. \u201cLocal engineering employers have been able to tell differences in Ole Miss students from any other university students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharp said though he has always been an Ole Miss fan and loved the campus and family atmosphere, what drew him here was the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence<\/a> program.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a program with no comparison across the country,\u201d Sharp said. \u201cIt readies engineers, accountants and business majors to immediately make an impact on the manufacturing industry here in the United States and prepares them with a wide range of knowledge and useful skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upon completion of his co-op, Franks plans to get married but is unsure how life will look for him and his fiancee. Whatever his future holds, he expressed gratitude for his Ole Miss engineering education.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor anybody in the engineering staff department, say a major \u2018thank you\u2019 for working diligently and providing several avenues of education for students to learn effectively and with as few bumps in the road as possible,\u201d Franks said. \u201cWe appreciate all of you and what you do for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharp plans to become a U.S. Marine Corps aviator. Should his dream job be delayed, he said he is prepared for yet another change in his plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI consider myself an extremely flexible person,\u201d he said. \u201cI was raised to be prepared for almost any situation whether expected or unexpected. Therefore, I personally believe that I can adapt to whatever is needed of me in order to take on the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

University of Mississippi junior mechanical engineering majors Noah Franks and Boston Sharp chose wisely when they decided to extend their co-op internships. Originally, they were both in the middle of their internships at the Olin-Winchester ammunition manufacturing plant in Oxford last spring. After COVID-19 abruptly altered the company\u2019s workforce and future internships were halted byRead the story …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1407,178],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nMechanical Engineering Students Thrive during Extended Co-op - Ole Miss News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/mechanical-engineering-students-cope-during-co-op\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mechanical Engineering Students Thrive during Extended Co-op - Ole Miss News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"University of Mississippi junior mechanical engineering majors Noah Franks and Boston Sharp chose wisely when they decided to extend their co-op internships. 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