Student Life
Students enjoying lab
Student Life
As of Summer 2021, there are around 100 undergraduate students working on their packaging B.S degrees and also a dozen graduate students in the Packaging program at Virginia Tech. Our students participate in a lot of activities, internally and externally, through the packaging student club at Virginia Tech. This student club is primarily focused on career development and building networks under the guidance of the club’s faculty advisors.
Annual activity of the Student club
There are core activities each semester, and all activities are managed by the student club officers and advisors.
Fall semester
Annual PackExpo: This is the largest, international packaging trade conference. More than 60,000 packaging professionals get together in either Chicago or Las Vegas (on a rotating basis). The VT packaging student club attends this meeting in order to learn more about the packaging industry, develop their career networks, and find job opportunities. We have continuously participated in this trade conference since 2011 (https://www.packexpo.com/).
Welcome back party and Gobblerfest: The packaging student club hosts a welcome back party every fall semester focusing on recruiting and welcoming new students to the program. This event provides a chance to get to know each other and to meet the faculty advisors. Also, the club members join in Gobblerfest in order to recruit more students to the club and the packaging program (https://campuslife.vt.edu/Student_Orgs/gobblerfest.html).
Biweekly club meetings: The student club hosts a meeting every other week during the academic year. During these meetings, we regularly invite industry speakers and host company info-sessions in order to learn about the packaging industry and current job opportunities. We also often host social activities to help build our internal network. Come see what we are doing!
Spring semester
Annual Packaging Student Jamboree (PackJam): Attending the annual packaging student jamboree is one of the core activities of the VT packaging student club. The packaging student jamboree is driven by packaging students from across the nation. Participants also include industrial delegates from around the world. Participating schools are Virginia Tech, MSU, Clemson, RIT, Wisconsin-Stout, Rutgers, and others. Each school hosts this event on their campus (on a rotating basis). Virginia Tech has hosted two jamborees in 2014 and 2019. During this event, students have a chance to develop their networks with other schools and the industry. There is also a unique, mini-career fair during PackJam.
Packaging student design challenges: The VT packaging student club always participates in the national packaging design competition which is sponsored by major industry companies. It includes 48 hr. repacks, the Paper Packaging Alliance design competition, and AICC design competition. The projects submitted to these competitions are often combined with course projects.
The Packaging student club officers of 2021 to 2022 academic year
President: Christian Hamlett
Vice president: Olivia Molloy
Other officers will be updated later
Club officer's alumni
President: Will Greene
Vice President: Anna Trout
President: Erin Wilson
Vice President: Jessica Richardson and Matt McBride
President: Amanda Augugliaro
Vice President: Mackenzie McMillan
President: Michelle Lipka
President: Trey Good
President: Kristine Koeppel
President: Zack Shiner
President: Russell Carr
President: James Lassiter