Fall 2015 Newsletter

Department Head Message

By Bob Smith

The students are back, the nights are getting cooler, and Hokie football is in the air. The week before classes start is always an exciting time on campus.

Learning from Industrial Packaging Internship Program

Over several years, packaging students have learned industrial experience through co-op or internship programs at packaging industries. During this past summer, the majority of packaging students (junior and senior) have successfully finished their internships at many companies and states beyond Virginia and came back to school with brilliant achievements and successful stories.

Learning corrugated packaging over the Summer

By Vina Le

This summer, I had the pleasure of working with Packaging Corporation of America in Roanoke, Virginia. The experience was beneficial, and I never thought I would gather so much imperative material about the corrugated board industry. It was a fascinating learning process as I got to work with my supervisors in many segments of the company’s system.

Working at Brand Owners!

By Richard Trey Good

This summer I got the pleasure of working for Newell Rubbermaid in Charlotte, North Carolina. More specifically, I worked as a pack- aging engineering intern on the merchandising team. It was one of the best experiences that an intern could ask for. I was given a project that was actually valued by the company and could eventually make a huge impact for the packaging team.

Welcome our new graduate students

Sustainable Packaging Design trainee program offered by the center for Packaging and Unit Load Design

By Laszlo Horvath

Every year, 4 outstanding undergraduate students are selected from Virginia Tech Packaging Systems and Design program to participate in the Sustainable Packaging Designer trainee program offered by the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design.

SBIO/MACR student wins prestigious ACS award

By Kevin Edgar

Xiangtao Meng, a fourth-year graduate student in the college of natural resources and environment, has recently been announced as the winner of the 2015 Eastman Graduate student award, given annually by the American chemical society’s cellulose and renewable materials division.

Packaging students engage with local industry

By John Boulding

The Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design (CPULD) is an integral part of the Packaging Systems and Design major and the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials at Virginia tech. The CPULD laboratory conducts packaging and unit load testing and simulations for industrial clients from around the world.

First information session as a hit!

By Megan Stallings, senior, Packaging

The SBIO and Packaging student recruiting teams under the guidance of SBIO EMC concluded the first portion of the fall new student recruitment with a joint interest session for the sustainable biomaterials and packaging programs. They held a cookout and attended Gobblerfest during the previous week where they were able to reach out to students and advertise the interest session.

Undergrad Summer research at the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design

By Laszlo Horvath

During the summer, Matt Baker (Ph.D) and Marlon Levy-Faigen (Junior) have been tackling one of the biggest challenges in the packaging industry.

Aspects of Wood Biodeterioration and Bioconversion

By Barry Goodell

The Université de Lorraine and the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) hosted professor Barry Goodell for several weeks in May and June of this year.

Edgar serves on internationaL PhD committee

By Kevin Edgar

Prof. Kevin Edgar recently returned from Barcelona, Spain where he served on the PhD final orals committee for a former visiting scholar in his group, Victoria Codera.

Quesada delivers lean management industry training in Dominican Republic

By Henry Quesada

From June 25-26, 2015; Dr. Henry Quesada, associate professor at the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials taught a short course on Lean Management. The short course was organized by a local organization called INTRAS that provides training to companies in Dominican Republic in business and operation management topics.

Entrepreneurial Scholarship established

By Earl Kline

This past Spring Semester, the College of Natural Resources & Environment, the Wood Enterprise Institute (WEI) and the Whitehurst family established the Wood enterprise Institute Entrepreneurial Scholarship program.

NWPCA and VT teams up to offer a Pallet Design and Performance short course

By Laszlo Horvath

In August, the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) and the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design co-hosted a sold-out two and half day educational short course.

Collaboration with Costa Rica tech through online-course on lean logistics

By Henry Quesada

From May 12 to August 5, 2015 associate professor Henry Quesada at the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials at Virginia Tech delivered an online-course on Lean Logistics for students of the manufacturing systems master degree program at the Costa Rica institute of Technology (Costa Rica Tech).

Virginia Extension hosts eurasian timber delegation

By Urs Buehlmann

On July 24, 2015, Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent Adam Downing and Extension Specialist Urs Buehlmann with John Campbell and Charles Becker from the Virginia department of forestry hosted a delegation of timber and wood processing management specialists from Eurasia under the leadership of Ms. Becky Long, International Trade Specialist, U.S. Department of Commerce at the McCormick Farm in Raphine, VA.

New book helps put those starting a Forest Products Business on the path to success

The Department of Sustainable Biomaterials has released a new publication targeted to those interested in starting a forest products-related business or for individuals without a forest products background who have been hired to work management positions in existing forest products companies.

WBC Hosts Wood Adhesion Short Course

By Linda Caudill

The Wood-Based Composites Center (WBC) welcomed 20 industry professionals to Blacksburg in August for the 13th Wood Adhesion Short Course. Participants learned about wood structure and properties, the importance of the wood/water relationship, adhesion and common industry adhesives, among other topics. Instructors included Virginia Tech’s Chip Frazier and, from Oregon State University, Drs. Fred Kamke and John Nairn.  The WBC, a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center, I/UCRC, has been offering the course since 2000.