The International Corrugated Packaging Foundation has helped establish corrugated packaging design labs at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., and Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo.
The foundation worked with Rutgers Packaging Engineering Department and Western Michigan’s Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering on the undergraduate computer design labs, according to a news release.
The labs, funded by Arden Software’s donation to the foundation, include 80 licenses of design software and training for faculty.
Both universities are expanding courses to include corrugated packaging, according to the release.
Rutgers University offers a Packaging Engineering Major and a Packaging Engineering Certificate; 200 students (not including freshman) are currently in the programs, according to the release. Students majoring in packaging must have a minimum of 70 credits in packaging and additional engineering courses, according to the release.
At Western Michigan University, about 120 students are in the paper and printing program. The labs have pulping digesters, paper making and testing equipment and other equipment.
The new labs at the two universities are part of the foundation’s Corrugated Packaging University Endowment Awards program. The 25 foundation partner universities and others submit proposals to create or expand corrugated curricula, according to the news release. The foundation also invites all universities to submit proposals to expand corrugated packaging curricula each year.
