Undergrad Research Program

Benefit

To acquire great research experience in various aspects of packaging; Skills in laboratory testing; teamwork collaboration; time management; ($17/hour and up to 10 hours/week), and a chance to enrich your resume for hunting a job!

Deadline

Apply for Spring and Summer 2024 by January 12, 2024.

Eligibility

Majoring in Packaging
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
Identification of a research topic and a mentor (check below for available faculty and projects)
A minimum of one semester (excluding internship) between project completion and graduation

Applications and Application Process

Applications for one or two consecutive semesters will be accepted until January 12, 2024
Students should submit their application packages online.
Applicant’s mentor must provide guidance during proposal writing.
If you have any questions about the application, please contact Dr. Yang.

Application Package

The application package should contain:

Cover letter that includes:
- Research project title
- Research project duration
- Student information (first name, last name, email, PID, class level, cumulative GPA, PKG GPA, and expected graduation date).
- Research mentor information (first name, last name, and email).
Proposal of a research project that includes (No more than 500 words):
- Title
- Introduction
- Rationale
- Objective
- Timetable
- Approach
- Expected outcomes
- Budget and budget justification
Resume
A letter of recommendation provided by your faculty advisor.

Available Faculty and Projects

Food packaging (Dr. Almenar)
Polymer biodegradation (Dr. Auras)
Medical packaging (Dr. Bix)
Fundamental materials (Angela Brann)
Packaging dynamics (Dr. Joodaky)
Bio-based polymer processing (Dr. Matuana)
Sustainable packaging (Dr. Rabnawaz)
Packaging evaluation using machine learning (Dr. Lee)
Packaging supply chain (Dr. Mahmoudi)
Bio-nanocomposite/nanomaterials (Dr. Mohiuddin)
Packaging design (John Marshall)
Ecofriendly flexible packaging (Dr. Noh)
Fiber-based packaging (Dr. Yang)

How to Apply

If you are interested in any of the projects, please contact the corresponding faculty member directly. Prepare the required documents and complete the application.