Announcing the 2024 SSOE Co-op Student & Employer of the Year
A student at the University of Pittsburgh was awarded for his excellence outside of the classroom this month, and a local company was also awarded for its consistent mentorship of co-op students.
The School of Engineering Cooperative Education Program named Lucas Connell, a junior computer engineering student in SSOE’s electrical and computer engineering department, its Co-op Student of the Year award recipient. BASF, a chemical production company, was also awarded Co-op Employer of the Year. The company aims to combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility, and has recruited 34 co-ops, with many students transitioning into full-time positions at their Monaca, PA facility.
Connell was nominated by his employer, BNY (formerly BNY Mellon) for three rotations in digital assets engineering and digital translation systems. Connell first started working at BNY in 2023, where he began by adjusting to software engineering in the workplace.
“In my first rotation, I had a lot to learn.” Connell said. “It's not like in school where you have a small coding project, but instead you’re dealing with an entire application that uses one framework. You have to understand the environment that you're working in and use the coding as a tool.”
During his time with the company, Connell was mentored by his colleagues and eventually moved to designing more technical projects and leading team presentations. Besides working in software engineering, Connell is also a small business owner of Elcon Threads, selling vintage Pitt gear on Instagram and through pop-up markets he hosts on campus.
“I came to Pitt and I noticed that no one here was wearing vintage Pitt clothes.” Connell said. “It was the perfect opportunity to start a business, and I started very slowly, but I really like doing it. It’s such a great way to meet people and I’ve learned a lot about being an entrepreneur.”
Connell is also nominated for the ASEE Co-op 2025 Student of the Year award, previously won in 2024 by bioengineering alumnus Benjamin Leslie. For Connell, this recognition is welcome but certainly not something he expected.
“Whether I received this award or not, I would be just as proud of the work I did during my co-op.” Connell said. “I think it's a great opportunity, and I'm glad that I'm able to represent both the Electrical and Computer Engineering department and Pitt in a good way."