Eduardo Molina
- Associate Director of the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design
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Location:
Brooks Forest Products Center1650 Research Center Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
(MC 0503)
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Biography
Eduardo Molina and his wife moved to Blacksburg from Costa Rica. He completed his graduate studies at VT and is now an Assistant Professor in the Packaging Systems and Design program. Eduardo teaches classes in the area of packaging distribution systems, operations management and its relationship to packaging, as well as advanced packaging development. Eduardo studied at Industrial Engineering at Costa Rica Tech where he specialized in Supply Chain Management, and worked at a global CPG-company. He established and manages the only IKEA-certified corrugated fiberboard testing laboratory in North America, as part of the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design.
Education
- B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Costa Rica Institute of Technology (2012)
- M.S. in Forestry and Forest Products (Packaging) from Virginia Tech (2017)
- Ph.D. in Forestry and Forest Products (Packaging) from Virginia Tech (2020)
Areas of Expertise and Research Interest
- Cold chain packaging sustainability research
- Cold chain optimization
- Packaging supply chain optimization
- Packing operations efficiency in e-commerce fulfilment centers
- Interaction of corrugated fiberboard properties and unit loads’ performance
- Optimization of packaging design for manufacturing productivity increase
Research Program Description
Dr. Molina's research focuses on transportation packaging, with a particular interest in protecting temperature-sensitive products during shipping. He researches how corrugated boxes and other fiber-based materials perform under the stresses of distribution, from vibration and handling to temperature and humidity changes. A key goal of his research is to develop predictive models that can replace costly physical testing, making it easier and cheaper for companies to design sustainable packaging solutions.
For more information about Dr. Molina's research and testing capabilities, please visit his labs' websites:
Research Team
Marlon Aguilar
M.S. Student
Research Title: "Characterization of friction in plastic pallets on cold chain"
Jacob Hall
M.S. Student
Research Title: "Investigation of Pallet Compatability with Automation Equipment"
Abid Hassan
Ph.D. Student
Research Title: "Study of Cold Chain Distribution Packaging for the Development of Environmentally Friendly Systems"
Hiral Makwana
Ph.D. Student
Research Title: "Prediction Modeling of Box Overhang Compression Strength"
Mohmmad Shadman Sakib
M.S. Student
Research Title: "Predicting the Long-Term Creep Behavior of Wood and Plastic Pallets"