Come work as a Professor of Practice in Packaging
FPDC Summary:
The Forest Products Development Center (FPDC) is an interdisciplinary research and extension-aligned program that includes research/extension partnerships between forestry, architecture, engineering, construction, agriculture, and business. The hub for scholarly research and economic development for the 2nd largest industry in the state: forest products and packaging. We also assist our state economic development teams in recruiting new companies to the state, such as International Beams (SmartLam), which was the first cross laminated timber (CLT) business built in the southeastern U.S. in Dothan, AL. We also have faculty that are very active in innovation, intellectual property, and patent applications in packaging and products. Finally, we assist industry directly through mill trials, lab research, and product development with participating manufacturers to help keep their companies competitive.
Key Functions of Center:
- Deliver extension-aligned programming to our stakeholders that need our science based solutions.
- Work with economic development partners to recruit and retain companies, and we work to provide students to the workforce
- Marketing of new technologies developed in Center or with partners
- Work with forestry to create characterization and management tools for forests, work with civil engineering to test/develop products, work with chemical engineering to develop adhesives/resins and polymers, work with architecture to develop CLT or industrial and graphic design for designing packages, and work with biosystems engineering to develop chemicals for adhesives and polymer synthesis for packaging or products.
- Provide experiential learning for undergraduate and graduate students in packaging and forest products. Our undergraduate degree in Sustainable Packaging (former Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging) includes classes from architecture, engineering, forestry, business, and agriculture.
- Provide educational training to industry partners
- Work with University and industry partners to write grants for R&D in packaging and forest products
Featured Industry Partners
Timber Products Inspection, Inc.
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