Industrial Technology & Packaging Newsletter 2015

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY & PACKAGING 2015 AL UM NI NEW S L ETTER

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Message from the Chair

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In the News

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Student Success

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Alumni Accomplishments

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Faculty Excellence

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Events

I ND U S T RIAL TE CHNOLOGY & PACK AGING

M ESSA GE F RO M T H E A R E A C HA IR E R IC OL S E N Hello Program Supporters, In case you haven’t heard, I took over as area chair in July of last year, succeeding Manocher Djassemi, who did a great job. In my first annual newsletter, it is only right that I recognize and thank Manocher for his three years of service as chair. He did a lot to realign our curriculum, improve our scheduling, and hire new faculty members, whom you’ll read about later in this newsletter. Manocher’s turn as chair will be remembered as a period of stability, focus and professionalism that was appreciated by faculty and students.

We began 2015 with the good news that the review team from the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering has recommended our program for another six years of accreditation. The review team shared that programs are rarely recommended without a corrective action report or follow-up visit. This solid result is a testament to the effort lead by Manocher, and we owe him a debt of thanks.

I have three other news items I would like to share: •

• •

You may have noticed the program name change on the cover of this newsletter. We are now the Industrial Technology & Packaging area. This will be effective with the 2015-17 catalog cycle. This name change has been a long time coming, and it allows us to recognize the large and vital role that the Packaging Program plays in our major.

In support of our name change, we are embarking on an effort to strengthen both disciplines by creating separate concentrations in industrial technology and packaging technology. We will be adding courses and professors in support of this effort.

We have just completed a marketing study to support a potential relaunch of our master’s program. The details are still being worked out, but the goal will be to create a world-class program to provide advanced education in packaging value chains. We’ll continue to update you on our progress.

Finally, I would like to reach out for your support. It takes an extended network of alumni and industry professionals to continue to make our program successful. If you see an area where you can help or get involved, please pick up the phone or drop me an email. My actual and virtual door is always open.

Cheers, Eric Olsen, Chair

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IN T HE N EWS

CAL POLY’S PACKAGING PROGRAM ATTRACTS INNOVATIVE STAR TUP TO THE CENTRAL COAST Specright, a startup clearinghouse for packaging specifications and best practices, has opened an office in San Luis Obispo, Calif., to be close to Cal Poly’s industrial technology and packaging programs.

Since establishing its new office in San Luis Obispo, the company has hired 15 Cal Poly students and recent graduates to fill entry-level positions and part-time jobs. In conjunction with Specright’s business headquarters in Irvine, Calif., the Central Coast office will be responsible for reverse engineering industry-standard packages and containers to develop and test a comprehensive set of specifications.

Employees will then log the specifications into Specright’s proprietary database to give clients access to reliable data on durable packaging. Specright’s enterpriseneutral model aims to save money, time and redundancy for clients in a variety of commercial and consumer-facing businesses.

“We have been unbelievably impressed with the maturity and professionalism of Cal Poly students and the skills they have,” said Brett Hall, Specright’s vice president of product development. “They come in and immediately make a contribution. We’re thrilled with the partnership.”

While Cal Poly will be a source of packaging engineers for Specright, the startup will in turn work with faculty to evolve curriculum and packaging best practices in a variety of industries. “We look to the university for advice,” Hall said. “Cal Poly is a cornerstone in the packaging world, and it can help us anticipate how the industry is moving for better strategy. It’s a win-win.”

Specright also plans on expanding from its current clients in the produce and industrial sectors to those in manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, and packaging commodities. For more information on Specright, visit s .

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S T UDENT S UCCE S S

CAL POLY VISITS PACK EXPO Each fall approximately 30 industrial technology and packaging students travel to the international tradeshow Pack Expo. The 2014 event in Chicago, Ill., drew more than 22,000 customers and buyers from more than 75 countries. This show focuses on the latest developments in packaging technology and showcases exhibitors’ stateof-the-art advances in packaging machinery, materials, packages and containers, and components. At this show, exhibitors bring their top technicians and engineers to share solutions to all types of packaging challenges.

The Cal Poly Packaging Program hosted an exhibitor booth in the educational pavilion, where the attending students had the opportunity to meet with industry practitioners, promote the program, and network with professionals. Students also explored the various exhibition floors to see the latest industry-based packaging technology trends. Two students competed against 10 other schools in Pack Expo’s Packaging Solution Student Competition, hosted by the Packaging Machinery and Manufacturing Institute. Cal Poly’s students were challenged with proposing a solution for a real-life packaging line design for dog treats. Their task was to deliver the solution in the form of a report, poster and presentation at the conference.

This is the program’s 11th year at the trade show, and it continues to be a highlight for students preparing to enter the packaging industry and faculty researching best practices and trends in packaging. Area Chair Eric OIsen attended the expo along with Packaging Program Director Jay Singh and faculty members Koushik Saha, Javier de la Fuente, and Ajay Kathuria to meet with industry partners and reconnect with Cal Poly alumni in the region.

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY VISITS FIRESTONE BREWING During fall quarter, 15 students from the Industrial Technology Society toured Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles, Calif. Thanks to the industrial technology and packaging graduates who work at Firestone, students and faculty took a behind-the-scenes tour of its production facility, bottling line, and the brewery’s new canning line, which was still under development. Firestone’s staff reviewed their process for ensuring consistent quality, safety and efficiency.

Those over 21 also sampled the final product for quality-control purposes.

Watch a video featuring highlights of the tour here.

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S T U D E N T S U CCESS

PACKAGING STUDENTS SHINE IN NATIONAL COMPETITIONS Ameristar Awards Competition Four teams of Cal Poly students earned recognition in the AmeriStar Awards Competition, a national contest sponsored by the Institute of Packaging Professionals that highlights the year’s most innovative packaging designs.

Susanna Hintergardt, Anita Ho, Brandon Holle, Neil Holliday and John Zeolla took second place in the contest’s student division with the “iPackage,” a coated cardboard insert that turns tablet packaging into a convenient carrying case. The insert features a tablet tilt support unit and compartments for accessories that, according to the team, would encourage buyers to reuse the packaging instead of disposing of it. The team was awarded a trophy and $500 at the contest’s awards banquet.

Three other Cal Poly student teams that received an honorable mention are: • Jacob Garber, Taylor Severn and Wes Zimmerman designed a spherical sunflower seed container that mimics the shape and appearance of a baseball.

• The “Coat N’ Clean,” developed by Maddie Back, Dylan Burau, Mary Butcher, Kelly Harding and Andrew Morey, fuses a nail polish bottle cap with a small nail polish remover reservoir and wand for touch-ups.

• Rebecca Kisch, Emily Mallet, Megan Smith and Michael Stracey were recognized for creating a waterproof, shatterproof makeup case with customizable color options (pictured).

The International Corrugated Packaging Foundation Competition Packaging students Emily Mallet, Andrew Morey and Patrick Salibi took second place at the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation’s 16th annual Careers in Corrugated Packaging & Display Competition. Cal Poly competed against 15 other university packaging programs, defeating students in such prestigious programs as Michigan State and Clemson. The students were tasked with designing an event display and mailing package that their university could use to attract prospective students. Cal Poly’s team created a concept called SLO Skyline that featured the morros of the Central Coast in the design. The team presented a video showcasing their concept and production process during a live teleconference with industry judges.

Watch the SLO Skyline video produced by the team here.

The team received a cash prize for its victory. The SLO Skyline project was entered into the contest after taking second at the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC) student contest in September.

At that contest, another team of Cal Poly students, including Nicole Hermann, Gregg Yasuda, Victor Sanchez-Zapata and Alyssa McPadden, took third place with their university event display and mailer called The Surfing Cowboy. The team blended The team blended together images of a cowboy on horseback and a surfer to represent Cal Poly’s balance between an agricultural curriculum and beach-town lifestyle.

The AICC also awarded industrial technology and packaging student Catlin Khamashta $1,000 from the J. Richard Troll Memorial Scholarship to support her education in industrial and packaging technology at Cal Poly. The scholarship is awarded annually to three undergraduate and one graduate student majoring in packaging engineering or a related packaging field.

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S T UDENT S UCCE S S

IT 407: THE CAPSTONE COURSE STANDS STRONG “IT 407 is central to the Orfalea College of Business’ unique approach to a handson, experiential business education,” said Professor Kevin Kuhn.

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The Industrial Technology and Packaging area’s capstone course, IT 407: Applied Business Operations, continues to empower students as they combine their business savvy with technical skills and manufacturing’s best practices. The course challenges students to replicate a manufacturer’s business and production systems from start to finish. Over 10 weeks, teams of students design, fabricate, market and sell 80 to 100 units of a unique product. These students invest their own money and hundreds of hours to source raw materials, prototype new designs, perform quality control checks, design packaging, and manage their budget efficiently to turn a profit selling their products. The course also requires teams to create a universal product manual to guide another manufacturer through a standardized process step by step. This fall, the quarter culminated with a maker fair where students came together to showcase their products on campus and at a farmers market to sell items directly to consumers.

Today, students bolster the sales process by crafting their own websites, making branded business cards, and creating pop-up displays.

S T U D E N T S U CCESS

IT 407 CONTINUED

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A L U MNI A CCO MP LI S HM E N T S

SPEAKING FROM EX PERIENCE: ALUMNI VIDEO Hear from recent graduate Alex Karic as he gives his perspective on the strength of Cal Poly’s industrial technology and packaging program. Alex is now putting his degree to work at Texas Instruments in Northern California.

Watch the video here.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT - MARCEL SCHWAGER Marcel Schwager (B.S., Industrial Technology, Minor in Packaging, 2013) was drawn to Cal Poly for the dynamic nature of industrial technology, blending the technical rigors and business savvy. According to Schwager, the beauty of the Central Coast didn’t hurt either.

Schwager made the most of his career at Cal Poly by getting involved as a leader in Cal Poly’s Interfraternity Council, the Industrial Technology Society, and Poly Pack, forging connections with mentors and peers he works with today. His junior year internship at Oracle opened his eyes to the corporate side of operations planning, but Schwager says he truly found his passion during a packaging research and development internship with Safeway. “The interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving really got me excited and showed me where my passion was,” he said.

That passion for problem-solving has stayed with Schwager. Three months before graduating Cal Poly, he accepted a position with Manex Consulting, a nonprofit consulting firm with a mission to reinvigorate small and mid-sized American manufacturers through lean processes. Schwager, who worked with Professor Eric Olsen to achieve the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt designation through Cal Poly, says his role is to stay on the leading edge of lean culture as he guides companies toward a more sustainable future. Schwager’s role requires all facets of his industrial technology and packaging degrees, from data analytics and materials management, to supply chain performance.

On the factory floor, he often implements Learn by Doing techniques in his workforce development classes. Schwager sees his clients grasp the benefits of a streamlined system much more quickly with hands-on application, just as he did from his experiences in the labs while completing his IT 407 project at Cal Poly.

Today, Schwager finds time to return to the Central Coast whenever he can. He advises today’s graduates to “make sure to stay close with your Cal Poly connections and resources -- your classmates now will be valuable peers in the workforce.”

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A L U M N I A C C OM P L IS HMEN TS

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY AND PACKAGING ALUMNI LAUNCH STAR TUPS Industrial technology and packaging alumni have been making waves with Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE). This fall, two companies founded by alumni debuted their businesses at Demo Day, the culmination of the CIE’s HotHouse Summer Accelerator Program.

The Cardboard Guys, founded by industrial technology and packaging graduates Jordan Keplar and Justin Farr, have developed a line of light-yet-strong cardboard furniture for children and adults. The products are intended to be a sustainable alternative to cumbersome furniture. The two say they found the inspiration for this project while watching Cal Poly freshmen move heavy furniture in and out of their dorms each year. Since Demo Day, the startup has added fellow Orfalea College of Business alumnus Jake Disraeli to their team. The Cardboard Guys completed a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund production for their first line of kid’s desk furniture.

Cal Poly alumni are also excelling in the technology sector. Through their company Boost Acquisitions, industrial technology and packaging alumni Josh Hirahara and Scott Santore have created software that automates the used car acquisition process for dealerships using online marketplaces like Craigslist. The algorithm aims to save employees time while ensuring they find the best priced vehicles. The team has begun using its software platform with local car dealers interested in growing their inventory.

Both ventures are working in the CIE’s two-year Incubator program, which fosters Cal Poly startups through early stages of growth with industry mentors, affordable workspace at the SLO HotHouse, and networking resources.

For more information on CIE, visit cie.calpoly.edu.

FA C U LT Y E X C E L L EN CE

AJAY KATHURIA Ajay Kathuria serves as assistant professor of industrial and packaging technology. Before joining Cal Poly, Kathuria was an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

He has taught various courses related to packaging polymers and processing, packaging machinery, and packaging fundamentals. He also has years of industrial experience in pharmaceutical packaging, industrial packaging, and vapor corrosion inhibitor (VCI) packaging materials.

Kathuria has a strong background in polymeric materials. His research is focused on biodegradable polymers, composites, mixed-matrix membranes, nano-materials, and high-surface-area porous compounds. He has authored various research papers in peerreviewed journals such as Polymer, Polymer International, co-authored a book chapter, and presented his research at numerous conference proceedings.

He is a member of such professional organizations as the Institute of Packaging Professionals, Society of Plastic Engineers, and International Association of Packaging Research institute. Kathuria earned his bachelor’s degree in printing technology from GJUST, Hisar, India. He received a master’s degree and doctorate in packaging science from Michigan State University, in East Lansing.

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FACU LT Y E XCE L L E NCE

JAVIER DE LA FUENTE Javier de la Fuente serves as assistant professor of industrial technology and packaging.

He teaches courses in design thinking, product design and development, computer aided design, and packaging. De la Fuente’s background includes industrial and graphic design, packaging, and scientific research. His research interest lies in the area of user-centered design, universal/inclusive design, communication of functionality, and healthcare packaging.

He has more than 30 publications including book chapters, peer-reviewed articles, refereed conferences, and trade-press articles. He co-authored the “Packaging Design and Development” and the “Medical Device Packaging” chapters in the last edition of the Wiley Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology. One of his papers won the prestigious Best Paper Award at the Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology, organized by the Engineering Department at the University of Cambridge.

De la Fuente is also co-founder and partner at Factor IDD, a design and innovation consulting firm specializing in packaging, product design, and brand identity. He holds a five-year degree in industrial design summa cum laude from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and earned master’s and doctorate degrees in packaging from Michigan State University.

AHMED DEIF Ahmed Deif is an assistant professor of industrial and packaging technology at Cal Poly.

Before coming to San Luis Obispo in 2013, Deif taught at Nile University in Egypt, University of Regina in Canada, and the University of Windsor in Canada, where he served as a visiting scholar from 2013–14.

His current research interests are in dynamic capacity management, innovation metrics and incubators, lean and green manufacturing/service systems, and dynamic analysis of manufacturing systems. He has more than 45 publications in books, international journals and refereed conferences.

Deif has diverse industrial experience including the automotive, steel, electronics and assembly industries. As a lean and six sigma certified expert, Deif helped various industries improve their production performance and conducted various Lean and Six Sigma trainings in U.S., Canada and Egypt. He also served as a consultant in different vocational training and education task forces.

Deif is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Institute of Industrial Engineers, and Central Coast Lean.

He is also a reviewer for many international manufacturing journals. Deif earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. He earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

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E VEN TS

CENTRAL COAST LEAN SUMMIT Central Coast Lean and Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business hosted the fourth annual Central Coast Lean Summit on Feb. 19-20, 2015, at the Performing Arts Center. The summit showcased lean advances through this year’s theme, “Frontliners Engaged in Problem-Solving.”

Attendees took advantage of a pre-summit workshop to learn the lean language through a hands-on simulation that emphasized several lean concepts. The summit itself featured interactive workshops with leaders in the health care, manufacturing, government and higher education sectors. Norbert Majerus, senior master Six Sigma black belt at Goodyear, delivered the keynote address, “Principle-based Problem-Solving in Lean R&D.” The annual event aims to showcase lean innovations, trends and best practices that will be valuable to practitioners in a variety of industries. The organizers see this as an opportunity to foster a community of local leaders who can build their network with likeminded managers engaged in lean strategies.

For more information, visit cob.calpoly.edu/ centralcoastlean/summit/.

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C O N TA C T U S STAY IN TOUCH Take a moment to update your contact information with Cal Poly’s Alumni Association. That way, you’ll hear about the latest updates in industrial technology and packaging, event invitations, and alumni networking opportunities. alumni.calpoly.edu/info

GIVE BACK TO THE INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY AND PACKAGING AREA Your tax-deductible contribution to the Industrial Technology and Packaging area will support current students, enhance labs, and expand hands-on curriculum that shapes career-ready graduates. Give back to students who are sitting where you sat and learning from your leadership. goo.gl/Lmgzvq

MEET YOUR MATCH Many employers will match charitable contributions to the Orfalea College of Business. Explore Cal Poly’s gift-matching resources to see if your company will match your gift and help double your impact at Cal Poly. giving.calpoly.edu/matching.html

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA LinkedIn Cal Poly Industrial Technology & Packaging Alumni Group Facebook.com/CalPolyOrfaleaCollege Twitter.com/OrfaleaCollege Instagram.com/OrfaleaCollegeofBusiness

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