The Michigan State University Board of Trustees today voted to authorize the planning of a major expansion to the MSU School of Packaging. The $25 million investment will double the size of the building and significantly increase research capacity, creating space for more faculty and graduate students.
“Positioning Spartans for continued innovation and leadership, this new expansion to the nation’s preeminent School of Packaging is another milestone for this storied program,” said MSU Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. “This addition signifies our commitment to research excellence and also underscores our dedication to staying at the forefront of industry trends and demands.”
Housed within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the MSU School of Packaging consistently earns top rankings in its field. It was established in 1952 and was the first school of packaging in the United States. Today, it is the largest packaging program in the country, with over 600 undergraduate and graduate students and 10,000 alumni worldwide. The school graduates 40% of all the packaging professionals in the U.S. alone, creating a basis for industry influence that outstrips any other packaging program.
“This expansion will create world-renowned sustainability research spaces so that we can expand our faculty in this critical area,” said Matthew Daum, MSU School of Packaging director and CANR assistant dean of corporate relations and strategy. “We are the only U.S. school that offers a Ph.D. program in packaging, so we’re particularly excited this addition will allow us to bring in more graduate students to meet industry demand.”
The School of Packaging completed a comprehensive renovation in April 2023, which created technology-first classrooms, collaboration spaces where industry partners can engage with students and new office space for graduate students and faculty. The renovations were supported by contributions from alumni and donors totaling over $10 million, including lead gifts from Amcor, Charles and Jackie Frasier and Ring Container Technologies.
The planned expansion is expected to break ground in 2025.
This story was originally published by the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.
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The MSU Innovation Center is dedicated to fostering innovation, research commercialization, and entrepreneurial activities from the research and discovery happening across our campus every day. We act as the primary interface for researchers aiming to see their research applied to solving real-world problems and making the world a better place to live. We aim to empower faculty, researchers, and students within our community of scholars by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to bring their discoveries to the forefront. Through strategic collaborations with the private sector, we aim to amplify the impact of faculty research and drive economic growth while positively impacting society. We foster mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with the private sector through corporate-sponsored research collaborations, technology licensing discussions, and support for faculty entrepreneurs to support the establishment of startup companies.
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