The Institute of Packaging Professionals is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2015 IoPP Packaging Education Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund was created to elevate packaging education by raising awareness of packaging as a career choice and is presented to exceptional students headed for careers in the packaging field.

The Scholarship program is funded by founding supporters, including the Contract Packaging Association, Bitner Associates, Inc., the IoPP Chemical Packaging Committee as well as the Cascade, Central Ohio, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minnesota, Missouri-Gateway, and Tejas IoPP chapters, PepsiCo R&D and IoPP Benefactor companies.

The talent identified through this program will also be shared with IoPP Benefactor companies as a recruiting tool for their organizations providing a post-graduation foot in the door that jump-starts careers in packaging.

The 2015 Packaging Education Scholarship Fund had a total of 40 submissions.

“The emerging talent in the packaging industry is evident by the quality of all these submissions,” says Jane Chase, chair, IoPP. “Since starting this program, the Institute is extremely proud to support future packaging professionals who are embarking on a lifelong and fulfilling career.”

Five academic scholarships were awarded by IoPP as well as one awarded by the Contract Packaging Association with IoPP's support.

The 2015 recipients are as follows:

$5,000 – PepsiCo R&D Scholarship -
Tori Motchan
Clemson University
Major in Packaging Science
Will graduate December 2016

$2,500 – IoPP Scholarships -
William Chickering
University of Cincinnati
Major in Industrial & Product Design
Will graduate May 2016

Abigail Cocca
Rochester Institute of Technology
Major in Packaging Science
Will graduate May 2018

Erika Violett
Clemson University
Major in Packaging Science
Will graduate May 2017

Audrey Wilson
Michigan State University
Major in Packaging/Chemistry
Will graduate in May 2016

$2,500 – Contract Packaging Association (supported by IoPP) -
Kate Cox
Indiana State University
Major in Packaging Engineering
Will graduate in May 2017

IoPP would also like to acknowledge the 2015 Packaging Education Scholarship Fund Judges:

• Andy Busteed, packaging engineer, 3M
• Jane Chase, CPP, fellow, sr. director packaging engineering, Schwans Food Company
• Suzanne Fenton, CPP, fellow, director of marketing, TricorBraun,
• Robert Larkin, CPP, director packaging and graphics development, ACH Food Companies, Inc.,
• Molly Lynn, CPP, packaging engineer, Russell Stover Candies Inc,
• Cecelia Melby, CPP, associate research fellow, Clorox Services Company
• Tim Mlsna, director of packaging engineering, Boston Scientific Corporation,
• Jeff Peterson, director of global packaging Engineering, Ecolab
• Robert Weick, VP packaging & sustainability research, quality & innovation, ConAgra Foods, Inc.