UC Alumni Give Thanks: Schuster Credits Co-Op for Career Opportunities

Schuster, Austin Francis ('11), Eileen George ('12)
and the Bearcat at alumni event before the
UC vs. Ohio State Sweet 16 basketball game.

Many UC alumni are thankful for their UC education and experience. Follow along with this series through November (also known as the thankful month) as UC alumni give thanks to UC. If you would like to share your story and show your appreciation for the university, please e-mail proudlycincinnati@uc.edu.

Scott Schuster earned his BBA in marketing in 2010 and MS in marketing in 2012. Schuster is the Director of Development at Moeller High School in Cincinnati, OH.  He formerly worked for the UC Foundation.

Why are you thankful for your UC experience?
The University of Cincinnati has played such a vital role in my life.  What I got out of both my undergraduate degree and graduate degree is irreplaceable.  During my four years of undergrad, I gained valuable knowledge from UC’s great faculty. I gained valuable work experience through the co-op program, which helped me secure a job out of college.  I went on to secure my master’s degree from the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, which gave me the opportunity to work with a great group of professionals in business as well as those pursuing master’s degrees in DAAP and Engineering.  UC has many great partnerships with local and national companies, which gave me the opportunity to work on real life problems and issues with companies across the country.  The university offered me the necessary tools to help me succeed and I am very thankful it.

Schuster in Boston before the UC vs. Ohio State Sweet 16
basketball game

How has your UC education helped you get where you are today?
One of my main reasons for attending UC was to have the opportunity to co-op.  Many other universities did not have a defined co-op program and UC’s has always been rated as one of the best.  As most students will tell you, you learn a great amount in the classroom, but an even greater amount in your chosen field of work.  In my eyes, work experience while in college is one of the most important aspects of being able to secure a job upon graduation.  Employers today want to see real life experience on a resume, and UC gives their students the opportunity to obtain it.  The academic and professional experiences I received at UC helped propel my career and placed me in a great position for growth.

What’s your favorite UC memory?
I have many great UC memories, but one that sticks out is from the 2010 Sugar Bowl. The outcome was not in our favor, but that game showed just how far UC has come, not just in athletics, but as a community.  Our fans vastly outnumbered Florida. I remember walking down the French Quarter and seeing thousands, upon thousands, of screaming UC Fans.

Why are you Proudly Cincinnati?

Scott's mom, Paula, Scott, and sister, Jennifer ('08) at
UC vs. USF Football game in Tampa, FL in 2011

The term Proudly Cincinnati means many things to me, but mostly it means remembering my time at UC and what UC has done for me and my family. I have been a fan of UC since I was a little kid and followed in my sister’s footsteps when I became a student.  I have been amazed to see the transformation of the University in my lifetime.  It has gone from being a bricks and mortar, urban campus, to one of the most beautiful campuses in the world. UC is internationally known for our high academic achievements, as well as our athletic achievements. I am proud, and honored, to say that I am a graduate of the University of Cincinnati.

Why are you thankful for UC? Let us know by commenting below!

New CEAS Learning Center Provides Students with Collaborative Space

The UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Learning Center, located on the eighth floor of Rhodes Hall, opened its doors at the beginning of Autumn Semester. The new Center provides an academic home for the Department of Engineering Education and first year students. 

Designed to keep students engaged and connected, the center accommodates 175 students and features state-of-the-art wired classrooms, open study areas, mobile tables and chairs, white boards and an inviting social area.

Within the first few weeks of classes, students filled the center on a daily basis, meeting with instructors, other students and tutors. The new space fosters a sense of belonging among students, which is especially important for students living off campus or taking courses outside of the college.

Several UC alumni, including Chicagoans for Cincy! leader, Bob Fealy, were instrumental in raising funds for the Learning Center. Generous support from alumni and donors has helped create a collaborative learning environment for current and future students.

For more information about the center, please click here.

Dayton Engineering Grad Pays It Forward to Young Aeronautic Enthusiasts

In case you missed the first edition of our all-new "UC Where You Are" e-newsletter, we're featuring some of the top-read stories here on our blog. If you like what you see, check out the full issue online and then update your contact information to ensure you receive the latest version in your inbox every few months. Comment below if you have the perfect alum in mind for us to feature in our spring edition too!

It’s not often that a kid can invite friends and family to an Air Show featuring his or her own airplane in flight. But that’s what happens at the end of College of Engineering grad Dale Whitford’s 15-week Model Airplane Building and Flying Program, open to any child in grades 4 to 12.

After 41 years of a remarkable career at the University of Dayton Research Institute, Whitford’s UC co-op experience inspired him to launch his aeronautics education program for youth. For the past fifteen years in a church gymnasium, Whitford and his team of volunteers have taught approximately 600 children about flight and engineering through hands-on weekly classes. Once a year for 15 weeks, children representing 15 different schools in the Dayton area learn how to read mechanical drawings, build a model plane, and study the principles of flight. The program culminates in a final Air Show, where kids fly their miniature aircraft in front of an audience.



Engineering grad Dale Whitford launched his youth model
airplane building program to share his lifelong passion for
airplanes with young aeronautical enthusiasts.

 According to Whitford, “When we first got married, my wife was uneasy about my flying, so I continued my hobby of model building from childhood. I taught my two young sons to build models, and eventually my grandchildren, and then some other kids. In 1998, our church asked the congregation for ideas for uses of the gym other than athletics.  I suggested the model building program to seed engineering interest in kids, and in September of that year I recruited my first class of 23 kids. The church loves it, the kids and volunteers love it, and I’ve never looked back.”

Whitford’s remarkable career and retirement followed a unique college recruitment experience. When the aspiring aeronautical engineer spoke to the dean of Engineering at the University of Tulsa, he told the young Whitford he belonged in a more impressive program than what Tulsa had to offer –the engineering school at the University of Cincinnati. And so it was that yet sight unseen, a mere three weeks after ending his Navy tour, Whitford walked on to UC’s campus.

After graduating from UC in the spring of 1951, Whitford married his (now) wife Sylvia the following day. With 13 job offers to choose from, Whitford accepted a full-time position at a small engineering firm in New Jersey. After six months, Whitford’s last supervisor at Wright Field contacted him and said he had recommended Whitford to University of Dayton officials for employment on a new government-sponsored research project that had been awarded to the University of Dayton.  Whitford and four other engineers launched Project Delta, a nuclear weapons testing project where he was involved in testing the effects of nuclear explosions on military aircraft.

Students of Whitford’s 3-month model airplane building
session at his home in Dayton show off their model airplanes.

These days, in addition to teaching children aerospace techniques, Whitford, the perennial educator, also instructs at the University of Dayton’s Lifelong Learning Institute. Whitford is also a published author on a variety of topics, including nuclear research, the Wright Brothers and jet engine history.

At least three of the Model Airplane Building and Flying Program graduates have gone on to pursue successful engineering careers, two of which attended the University of Cincinnati. UC President Gregory Williams successfully nominated Whitford for a “Co-Op Hall of Fame” award in 2011 by WACE (Advancing Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education), an honor that the dedicated UC alum considers a favorite lifetime achievement.

“I consider myself lucky to have known so early on what I wanted for a career when I grew up and then to have had so many opportunities to make that dream a reality,” Whitford said. “For me, the greatest satisfaction in leading the youth flying program is seeing that same spark of interest in the kids.”