Left to right: Javier de la Fuente, Maria-Paz Gonzalez, Cristina Guzman, Keely Hogan-Braker, Patnarin Benyathiar.

Have you ever thought about how an army tank gets packaged, or at least the parts of the tank that have to be shipped to the assembly plant? This is just one of the myriad of products that students in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, think about. When asked about an entire program being devoted to packaging, Sara J. Risch, Director and Professor in the School of Packaging simply asks: What do we purchase that does not come in a package?

Someone has to understand each product and design a package to function properly in the environment to which it will be exposed. Many people think only about the graphic design, but there needs to be an underlying package for those graphics.

The oldest university based school of packaging in the U.S., MSU's program was founded in 1952. This year, there are over 560 undergraduates enrolled in the program, as well as over 60 graduate students. Risch explains the MSU has a very strong program with students attracted by the diversity of jobs available as well as the fact that many of them pay quite well.

The core curriculum has been developed to give students a fundamental understanding of the materials used in packaging including glass, metals, plastics, paper, paperboard, and corrugated; the technical principles and dynamics for packaging; and the packaging processes and development. Most students spend at least one semester on an internship and many also participate in a study abroad program that looks into packaging issues in countries around the world. Students can take electives that cover a wide range of packaging topics such as printing, economics of packaging, pharmaceuticals, food, package regulations, RFID and environmental issues.

At the graduate level, students build on the core curriculum and are given the opportunity to research a wide variety of packaging topics, from basic materials to universal design. Risch, who herself spent 12 years as an independent consultant in the food and packaging arena running her own business, Science by Design, and five years as director of R&D for a food company, sees endless opportunities for research into all areas of packaging.

While the program at MSU does not focus on graphic design, it is an integral part of a finished package. The student team of industrial designers, Risch says, eagerly awaits the opportunity to work on Package Design's Makeover Challenge. They've asked me "If we want to change the packaging, is it okay?" My reply is, "Yes, it's an open field."