Mary Alvarez Valverde

Originally published Feb. 15, 2021

This past year working at the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design has been a unique professional experience. My own background comes from wood science so being introduced to the world of packaging and pallets has truly changed the way that I view simple things such as an Amazon Prime Package that magically shows up at my door a few days after ordering. I've been lucky enough to learn about different tools that are used by packaging engineers that not only have economic impact but also impact the environment and worker safety.

The projects that we work on in the lab are products that affect our very own daily lives and the lives of many others who are involved in the supply chain. Packaging and the supply chain were  interesting concepts to me before I began my masters, but now I understand that they're far more complex and parts of a truly amazing world that has an infinite number  of moving parts and people. Working in a lab that focused on these topics and concepts has been personally enriching and professionally impactful. - Mary Alvarez Valverde, M.S. Graduate Student