Students in the Pilot Plant

Creating Sustainable Solutions

The Paper Technology Foundation in association with the Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering, provides students with scholarships, summer internships, professional mentoring and immediate job placement upon graduation.

120

paper engineering students

$7 million

in scholarship support awarded

34

corporate partners

$80K

median starting salary
—2021-22 Career Outcomes Report
Paper engineering students at their fall reception.

Scholarship Support

The PTF offers an unprecedented scholarship program to support students entering the most sustainable industry—the paper industry.
Fall 2023 Meeting

Student Engagement

The Paper Technology Foundation and the TAPPI Ts'ai Lun organization facilitate engagement activities to foster your personal and professional development and to create a community for successful career outcomes.
Paper engineering students talking to industry professionals at their fall meeting mentoring tables.

Program Curriculum

Western Michigan University offers 1 of 4 ABET-accredited paper engineering programs in the United States, providing coursework in sustainable fiber-based products and technologies.

Academic Department

The Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering provides curriculum and research experience through coursework.

Paper Technology Foundation

The PTF supports the relationship between the academic department and corporate partners, manages the paper engineering scholarship program, and provides guidance to align the curriculum to industry needs.

WMU Paper Pilot Plant

The WMU Paper Pilot Plant provides workforce and facility solutions for research, product development, and education. They serve Western Michigan University, the public, and educational communities within the paper and allied industries.
Not only will the scholarships I have received help my progression, they also prove that I am hard-working and very passionate about the paper industry.
—Meegan Heerlyn, paper engineering student