Pitt's 2025 Co-op Student of the Year

Emilio holding the Co-op award

Emilio Hoyos-Sosa, Chemical Engineering

Emilio will be earning his BSE in Chemical Engineering (minor in Chemistry and Nuclear Certificate) in December 2025 and has earned a 3.95 GPA.  He has completed four co-op rotations with The Sherwin-Williams Company in PA, MD and OH.  He worked on various process engineering projects to increase reactor condenser cooling capacity, designed a safety barrier for handling powder sacks, reduced wastewater costs by reducing vacuum pump system seal water discharge, automated the delivery of raw materials, reduced process hazards in a bulk ammonia storage project and updated over 40 P&IDs and process safety information documents.  In addition, for the last four years he has been the Advisor and Lead Project Engineer for the Society of Astronautics and Rocketry (SOAR) at Pitt - where he designed and manufactured a 3-inch high power rocket with air brake hardware for active altitude control - as well as fundraising over $35k from internal and external sponsors for the competition which was held in Texas.  He has also given back extensively to the Chemical Engineering department by serving as an Undergraduate Laboratory Teaching Assistant with Professor Mike McMahon for CHE 101, 201, 301 and 401.  

Finalist: Jayson Baggett, Bioengineering, Philips

Honorable Mentions:

  • Jill Brockhoff, Bioengineering, Bayer
  • Alec Devallance, Mechanical Engineering, Extrude Hone
  • Grace Gilbert, Material Science, Covestro
  • Leo Goldberg, Computer Engineer, Rovisys & Eaton
  • Tori Haschets, Bioengineering, Kenvue
  • Jake Jordan, Civil Engineering, Langan
  • Camille Kakoyan, Industrial Engineering, Curtiss-Wright & Colgate-Palmolive
  • Samuel Landon, Chemical Engineering, BASF
  • Katie McGuire, Mechanical Engineering, MSA
  • Rex Rayburg, Electrical Engineering, The Conair Grou