Michigan State University celebrated the start of renovations to the MSU School of Packaging building on April 19, following a fundraising campaign that raised more than $10 million.

“The Michigan State School of Packing is proud to be known as the first, largest, and most comprehensive packing program in higher education,” said MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD. “We are thrilled that MSU’s tradition of excellence in packaging is being strengthened by donor support for a significant expansion and improvement of our facilities and the addition of an endowed faculty chair.

Last updated in 1986, facility upgrades will help MSU remain a leader in packaging. The renovation of the packaging building will help modernize teaching and learning. This includes flexible classrooms that encourage collaboration and integrate technology seamlessly, spaces that invite industry to engage and improve the student experience, and attract faculty with the space and tools. suitable for conducting cutting-edge, world-class research. Read more about the renovation of the packaging building.

“Our modernized facility will be a gathering place for the best and brightest minds in packaging, and a place that will bring together leaders from academia, industry, government and non-government to solve the toughest challenges in packaging.” , said Matt Daum, Ph.D., Director of the School of Packaging. “Updating and expanding the current facility to meet modern teaching and research needs will better reflect the rapidly changing workplace of technology-ready packaging. This ultimately results in better prepared graduates.

The first phase of the renovations is expected to be completed by summer 2023. Watch the live video feed of construction progress, provided by Christman Construction.

The renovations are supported by commitments to the renovation project totaling more than $10 million from alumni and donors, including lead donations from Amcor, Charles and Jackie Frasier and Ring Container Technologies.

• Amcor made a transformative gift to the School of Packaging to establish a partnership that allows the School of Packaging to begin renovations to create a modern, collaborative environment for our students and faculty that will be a plaque platform for thought leadership on sustainable packaging in industry, academia, government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The Amcor partnership also establishes an endowed president position focused on sustainable packaging solutions. This faculty member will have a unique platform to influence and lead the thinking around truly sustainable and scalable packaging solutions across the entire value chain.

• Ring Container provided support to renovate the main hallway, which will be renamed Ring Container Technologies Innovation Hall, reinvented and redesigned in the spirit of collaboration. The new, expanded space will connect to the Frasier Atrium. This exciting new space will foster both large and small collaborative groups for students, faculty and industry partners. This prominent space will quickly become a favorite gathering place, not only because of its various collaboration spaces, but also because of its comfortable, bright and modern design.

“I am truly grateful to our donor partners. Their donations demonstrate a spirit of cooperation with the School of Packaging and a willingness to give back for the next generation of students who will benefit from this investment in exceptional facilities and new faculty,” said Daum.

The top-ranked MSU School of Packaging, housed within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, is the premier packaging school in the United States and the largest packaging program in the nation, with more than 600 undergraduates. undergraduate and graduate. It is the only school that offers a Ph.D. program in packaging and has 10,000 alumni worldwide.