Medtronic renews five year partnership with engineering Honors Co-Op

Medtronic, one of the largest medical device companies in the world, has renewed a five-year partnership with CSUN’s Engineering Cooperative Education (Honors Co-Op) Program.

The company specializes in engineering devices that treat 70 different health conditions, to help alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. Their subdivision, Medtronic Mini-Med, whose focus is on creating devices that help individuals in the diabetic community, has been a longtime supporter of CSUN. In addition to its past participation with the Honors Co-Op, Medtronic MiniMed also has provided annual funding for campus programs since 2001.

Honors Co-Op, an internship program that was established in 1986 in response to industry requests for technical apprentices, is open to graduate and undergraduate students through the College of Engineering and Computer Science. The partnership allows students who meet specific academic requirements to get valuable practical experience in a technical job.

“Internships are a critical component of the educational experience,” said Heather Lake, senior director of development for the college. “It takes their learned hands-on knowledge and allows them to apply it with industry partners. It’s win-win, as the companies get great people working for them and the students get valuable industry experience.”

Some of the projects students have worked on in the past for the company include mechanical design of infusion sets, building infusion pumps, and continuous glucose monitors.

Participation in the program is a privilege that helps build a strong foundation for students, with opportunities for future employment, said Medtronic Mini-Med Vice President of Product Innovation and CSUN alumnus Ali Dianaty ‘98 (Mechanical Engineering), M.S. ‘03 (Mechanical Engineering), who participated in the Honors Co-Op as a student.

“We have a very high rate of employment by student interns being hired by the companies for whom they intern,” Lake said.

For Medtronic Mini-Med specifically, “usually 50% to 60% of the people that we bring through these kinds of programs, we hire on full time,” Dianaty said.

Throughout the partnership, Medtronic Mini-Med will open positions to CSUN students. Each job will vary depending on the company’s needs at the time, but there are a few core qualities the students must have, Dianaty said: willingness to learn, a strong work ethic and the ability to learn about themselves and where they fit best within the industry.