The scholarship was established in 2011 in conjunction with Packaging World’s Leaders in Packaging program. This annual marketing program enables suppliers to promote their innovation and expertise to the packaging community.
The scholarship is awarded each year to an educational institution that prepares students for careers in packaging. The recipient school selects one or more students pursuing related degrees and distributes the funds to the student(s) to defray tuition and other education-related expenses.
Purdue Northwest (PNW) College of Technology offers technology programs that are among the country’s largest. Major national and international OEM and CPG companies employ the college’s alumni, including Morrison Container Handling Solutions, United Healthcare Group, Ford Motor Company and many more. PNW is a PMMI educational partner school and has collaborated with the association on workforce development and education curriculum issues.
“The Bachelor of Science degree program in Mechatronics Engineering Technology at PNW focuses on packaging machinery manufacturing, including system integration for packaging machinery,” says Niaz Latif, PhD, Dean of the College of Technology. “Significant partnerships with key packaging industry companies in the region allow PNW students to work on real-life projects to provide solutions to industry problems. 
“Packaging machinery manufacturers can improve the operation and productivity of any manufacturing industry with the use of advanced (smart) manufacturing solutions,” he adds. “These solutions require system integration based on knowledge of mechanical, electrical, controls, and automation. PNW’s Mechatronics program provides such skills and knowledge to its students.” The scholarship money will be used to support students in the BS in Mechatronics Engineering Technology program. The school will award five merit-based $1,000 scholarships to full-time students. Selection of recipients will be made by a committee composed of faculty members. Scholarship awards can be used for all educational expenses, not just tuition.
“Our best wishes to PNW and the students who will benefit from the 2020 scholarship,” says Joe Angel, Publisher of Packaging World and President of PMMI Media Group, a division of PMMI. “We’re grateful to the participants in the Leadership in Packaging program who—together with the PMMI Foundation—support our next generation of packaging professionals.”
The Future Leaders in Packaging Scholarship is one of several scholarships awarded or administered by the PMMI Foundation each year, providing over $200,000 in funds for students. These scholarships underscore PMMI’s commitment to the future of the packaging and processing industry.
For more information about Leadership in Packaging, visit Packworld.com. For more information about the PMMI Foundation, go to pmmi.org/foundation. -PW
