Cody Mitchell of Ardmore knew from an early age that he would end up working with computers and electronics. He spent much of his time in high school gaining a better understanding of how computers work and how they could be used to solve problems.

His early avocation with electronics and computers led him to The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Mitchell’s drive and ambition resulted in him being named UAH’s Cooperative Education Student of the Year for 2007.

The electrical engineering graduate has spent several terms working at Mentor Graphics as a software quality assurance engineer. It was his job to analyze the behavior and report possible problems in printed circuit board (PCB) layout software.

“Primarily, I ran a suite of over 2,000 test cases that had expected results, and I had to ensure that those same results were being produced each time we ran the tests on newer builds of the software,” he said. “This suite involves almost every command allowed by the software, so I had the opportunity to gain a wide overview of Expedition’s capabilities.”

Mitchell gained valuable experience working at Mentor. “As I progressed into my second and third work terms, I also began to work on more special assignments in between my normal work duties in which I would test specific things that I didn’t normally see.

“Because each person in my group had special areas on which he or she worked, I took every opportunity to spend time helping my co-workers and familiarizing myself with their duties. Not only did this sometimes help them with their workloads, but it also gave me additional experience with something new.”

While Mitchell assumed he would choose computer science as a major, he said a trip to UAH while he was a senior in high school convinced him that engineering was going to be a more appropriate course of study.

“When entering UAH, I had planned to major in computer engineering and take the additional courses necessary for the electrical engineering double major. However, after a couple of years, I realized that I was enjoying the electrical engineering courses more because of the analysis involved,” he said.

At that point, he made electrical engineering his primary major, but still completed computer engineering as a second major. “This allowed me quite a bit of hardware and electronics experience, while still retaining some of the programming exercises to provide a balance in coursework.”

Mitchell said it was an easy choice to attend UAH. “The university has a well-established reputation in engineering and providing employment for the numerous companies in the Huntsville area, so I knew that I would receive a high-quality education.

“The courses I’ve taken at UAH haven’t been easy, but I’ve enjoyed the challenges that they’ve given me. I think that having a degree in engineering from UAH shows that I am capable of thinking critically and devoting the time and effort to solve a problem.”

Mitchell said he was familiar with the cooperative education program at UAH because another family member had gone through the program.

“To me, that seemed like the best route to follow because it was obvious that the program does work and provides students with a unique opportunity to have more than just a degree listed on their resumes,” he said. “Joining the co-op program has delayed my graduation by two or three semesters, but it was time well-spent because the program allows the students to prove that they can excel in other areas besides just the classroom.”

Mitchell said his co-op experience at Mentor was enjoyable. “The people in my group were extremely helpful in answering questions whenever I got stuck on something. There was a good balance between the ways in which they helped me and in how they challenged me.”

As for his future, the new UAH graduate will be staying in the area. “I have no intention of leaving the Huntsville area because I feel there is ample opportunity for success here,” he said. “After working in quality assurance with Mentor Graphics, I feel that I would be comfortable in a QA (quality assurance)-related career, checking the work of others and finding potential flaws in designs. Ultimately, I hope to be in a career where I can continue learning, but most of all, be able to see the results of my work and know that people benefit from it.”

Meanwhile, he plans to take off from school a short while and will return to pursue graduate studies in electrical engineering.