My Co-op Gig: Engineering Together

Undergraduate electrical and computer engineering classmates and friends Pavan Kanakkassery and Oscar Cruz were looking to fully integrate into an engineering work environment, and the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences’ cooperative (co-op) education program provided the exact level of experience they sought.

Students participating in a co-op alternate a semester of academic study with full-time work experience. For Kanakkassery and Cruz, this meant taking on new responsibilities as junior electrical engineers at Unique Technical Solutions (UTS) in Bohemia, N.Y. Still, they agree that the experience was well worth adding a semester to their college careers.

UTS President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Ambrosio (B.S. ’94), who also serves on the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences’ Executive Advisory Board, previously told New York Tech News that the kind of students who thrive at UTS are those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty—literally.

“They might have to go out at 11 p.m., crawl under a UPS truck, check data loggers, take measurements on battery temperature, check the wear on certain parts. Some people just love it, and you need that spirit to dive in,” he said.

Their co-op began at the end of the spring 2025 semester—Cruz joining in May and Kanakkassery in June—but their most memorable moment saved itself for a few months later. UTS flew the pair to Texas—twice—to support a client project of electrifying a 16-wheeler industrial rig. After multiple site visits in August and September, the students successfully wired everything from the batteries and high-voltage systems to the driver and rear control stations. Cruz notes that flying to another state and witnessing the result of such a large-scale project made their work feel impactful. “That experience reinforced why I chose the engineering field in the first place,” Kanakkassery says.

At the office, some of Kanakkassery and Cruz’s duties overlap, such as developing detailed technical schematics, working on wiring harness architecture, and supporting electrical system projects, but each shines on their own with personalized tasks. While Kanakkassery helps with control system setup, debugging, and troubleshooting, Cruz coordinates with technicians to ensure products were properly built, tested, and delivered to clients on time and within budget.

The students’ full-time work at UTS empowered them to see projects through from start to finish and feel like they were truly part of a team. “Working for over seven months straight allows you to gain a level of experience that simply cannot be replicated in shorter-term opportunities,” Cruz says. Kanakkassery reflects, “It also made returning to school more meaningful, since I could connect what I experienced at work to my coursework and understand concepts from a more practical perspective.”

The co-op concluded at the end of the fall semester, but their work is not over—UTS invited the two to continue working through the spring semester, contributing to projects on a part-time, weekly basis. Kanakkassery and Cruz seek to develop a wide range of technical skills as they prepare for their careers, so they do not take the opportunity for granted.

Beyond the skills learned and technical growth, Kanakkassery and Cruz say they’ve gained a headstart in understanding what working in the field looks like. As they’ve applied concepts from the classroom to real-world projects, the future engineers feel prepared to make a smooth transition into their post-graduation career.

“UTS has allowed me to work on real-world electrical systems and contribute to complex engineering projects,” Cruz says. Kanakkassery, who says he was drawn to the college specifically for its co-op program, agrees. “UTS gave me the opportunity to explore different areas of electrical engineering and better understand what genuinely interests me. I feel reassured that I’m moving in the right direction with my career.”