Career Readiness: Be Job Ready by Your Senior Year
SBIO 2026 Graduates
Career Readiness
Job-Ready Virtual Live Info Sessions, Fall 2026
Join any of our free live virtual info sessions! They will be focused towards the major listed, but contain info that would be helpful for all.
Each evening the live virtual session will be held from 7:00p.m.– 7:45p.m. ET on Zoom. RSVP through the links provided for each session. Once you RSVP, you will be sent the Zoom link for the session.
Info sessions for Packaging Systems and Design (PSD) majors!
Wednesday, August 5th, 7:00p.m.
Curious where a degree in Packaging Systems and Design can take you? Join this virtual live session to hear from two senior-level leaders at top packaging companies that hire students like ours. They’ll share what packaging careers look like, what skills employers want, and how Sustainable Biomaterials at Virginia Tech can help you get there.
Michelle Lipka
Michelle: "I graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Packaging Systems and Design in 2018. Before graduating, I interned with Newell Brands during the summer of 2017, supporting the Elmer's business. After graduation, I joined Newell Brands full-time and spent six years on the Baby business, supporting brands such as NUK, Baby Jogger, and Graco. In 2024, I transitioned to the Home Fragrance team as a Senior Packaging Engineer, where I lead packaging development for brands including Yankee Candle and Chesapeake Bay Candle. My day-to-day work includes designing and testing packaging, collaborating with cross-functional teams and suppliers, and helping bring new products from concept to store shelves."
Wednesday, August 26th, 7:00p.m.
Co-ops and Internships give students a real look at how Packaging Systems and Design can turn classroom learning into career experience. Two Sustainable Biomaterials alumni will share how their co-ops helped them build skills, make industry connections, and land the jobs they have today. Students will also learn how the program’s built-in free electives can make it easier to earn credit while taking advantage of hands-on co-op and internship opportunities.
Wednesday, September 16th, 7:00p.m.
Think packaging is just boxes? This virtual live session will show how Packaging Systems and Design can lead to careers with starting salaries around $80,000, comparable to many traditional engineering fields. Sustainable Biomaterials' own Assistant Director of Recruiting will explain career outcomes, job options, and why packaging engineering skills are needed across food, medicine, technology, shipping, and retail. Students will learn why this field offers a strong, recession-resistant career path with real-world impact.
Wednesday, October 7th, 7:00p.m.
Unbox Packaging Systems and Design Curriculum with our Interactive Road Map (trying to imagine this as a moving visual to make it more memorable to a younger demographic). CNRE’s Student Advisor will help you explore what classes you’ll take, how the major is structured, and how your courses connect to real careers in packaging, sustainability, design, and supply chains. You’ll see how the curriculum is “packed” with hands-on learning, industry connections, and flexible options that help you build a degree that fits your goals. By the end, you’ll have a clearer roadmap for how Sustainable Biomaterials at Virginia Tech can help you package your future.
Wednesday, October 28th, 7:00p.m.
Start building, testing, and creating from Day One in our labs at Cheatham Hall and the Brooks Center. In Packaging Systems and Design, small classes mean your professors actually know your name and your goals. Join this live virtual session to meet one of them and get a sneak peek at the hands-on projects, lab experiences, and real-world learning packed into the major.
Wednesday, November 11th, 7:00p.m.
Being job-ready by senior year starts long before graduation. In this virtual session, students will learn how Packaging Systems and Design majors can turn class projects, lab work, co-ops, internships, and faculty connections into a strong resume and portfolio that stands out to employers. The Packaging Program Director will share how students can “wrap up” their Virginia Tech experience with the skills, confidence, and career materials they need to make a strong first impression.
Info sessions for Sustainable System Science (S3) majors!
Tuesday, August 18th, 7:00p.m.
Tuesday, September 22nd, 7:00p.m.
Tuesday, October 20th, 7:00p.m.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS
By graduation, PSD students have designed, tested, and improved real packaging for real companies — and have the credentials to prove it.
- A portfolio of industry projects, plus ISTA Packaging Dynamics Professional certification.
- Fluency in mechanical testing, materials science, design software, and sustainability.
- The confidence — and the network — to step straight into a $78K+ engineering role.
S3 graduates leave able to measure, model, and improve the sustainability of whole business systems.
- Hands-on command of LCA, Material Flow Analysis, and systems-thinking tools.
- A capstone project (SBIO 4724) that tackles a real sustainability challenge end-to-end.
- The analytical skills consulting, energy, and corporate-sustainability employers are hiring for.
February 24th, 2026 - Energy Engineers from Trane Technologies visit Sustainable Biomaterials students to demonstrate an energy audit at the Brooks Forest Resource Center. (Photo by Luke Hayes/Virginia Tech)
