KALAMAZOO, Michigan -- The Western Michigan University Paper Technology Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporation founded by industry leaders in 1958.
The mission of the corporation has been and continues to be to support the Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering at Western Michigan University. The Paper Technology Foundation's primary roles have been to recruit students for the paper and allied industries and support those students with competitive scholarships. In the last 10 years, the foundation has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships.
"The sustainability of our industry has inspired a new generation of students," said Cindy Gleaton, Recruitment and Outreach Specialist, Chemical and Paper Engineering at Western Michigan. "We have a staff and board of trustees that are passionate about the program. We have achieved funding for 2 named endowed professor positions to recruit industry talent. We have also seen an increase in endowment giving to support our growing scholarship needs."
Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with Aimee Lambert, who is a graduating senior in the program. We asked her a few questions about her experiences at Western Michigan.
What attracted you to the Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering program?
My initial attraction to the Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering at Western Michigan University was relatively superficial. I am a very logical, practical, left-brained person who was looking to go to college for a degree that provided good return on investment when it comes to work post-graduation. The paper program had just that - upon touring the university as an admitted chemical engineering student I could not help but be attracted the statistics - on average WMU students graduate with 18 months of relevant work experience making $20-30 an hour. This allows for students to create a well-rounded portfolio of experience making them highly desirable by employers upon graduation - for decades WMU Paper Engineering has had 100% job placement meaning that each and every senior graduated with a job already lined up. Not to mention, the paper program had a substantial scholarship sponsored by the Paper Technology Foundation. The combination of scholarship money, internship opportunities, and probability of securing a good job post-graduation made my choice an easy one. I joined the program as an incoming freshman for the "financial benefit" and I stayed in the program over the years for the supportive and encouraging family feel that I experienced in the program and in the industry.
Were you looking into pulp and paper when you were in high school?
I was largely unaware of the pulp and paper industry while in high school. I had always had a knack for math and science and consequently planned on being an engineer since middle school. I was interested in chemical engineering for what I would call a pretty lame reason - I simply enjoyed chemistry in high school. I advanced in high school chemistry opting to taking upper level and college level chemistry just for the fun of it. In high school chemistry two my junior year, WMU Paper Engineering recruitment staff gave a presentation on the program and its opportunities which piqued my interest largely due to scholarship availability. It wasn't until I toured WMU as an admitted chemical engineering student that I added paper engineering as my primary major. I did this because of the undeniable "family feel" of the program and the highly desirable job placement stats.
Tell us about the internships and/or co-ops you have had.
My first work experience was a process engineering co-op with Kimberly-Clark Professional in Owensboro, Kentucky from January to August of 2023. I spent approximately 8 months there on co-op working on a variety of exciting, hands-on projects aimed at increasing ease of manufacturing, decreasing production cost, and mitigating process waste on the towel machine and converting assets. Some of my favorite, and most valuable, experiences here were while helping complete routine PMs during the annual maintenance outage. During this time, I was able to see the inner workings of the paper machines in an up close manner not usually achievable when on the run.
My second work experience was a technical sales associate internship with Kemira from April to August of 2024. This work experience was extremely valuable as I was able to travel to a number of papermills within a 2-3 hour radius of Kalamazoo, MI performing testing to validate chemical efficiency and equipment effectiveness at aiding paper machine runnability. I was also given the opportunity to have a hand in the installation of turnkey equipment to promote and support data driven management of chemical applications in papermills.
My third and final internship experience was spent in the pulp mill of a fully integrated papermill with Smurfit Westrock in Fernandina Beach, FL from May to August of 2025. This internship is where I fully dove into the concepts of Lean Six Sigma. I took a course and completed a project to become Yellow Belt certified in Lean Six Sigma by applying lean methodology for process improvement through data analysis and instrumentation strategy to reduce fiber losses in the recycle fiber department. This was a largely independent project the promoted self-discipline and ingenuitive thinking that quantified losses and detailed a plan to recovery that was largely appreciated by management. It was a proud moment for me as I knew that the completion of this project would make actual, lasting impact on the facility.
I will be returning to Kimberly-Clark in Owensboro, KY for placement as a full-time process engineer upon graduation.
What does this program mean to you?
The WMU Paper Engineering program means so much to me. The program has supported my growth both personally and professionally by providing me with access to valuable networking experiences that connected me with alumni and potential employers. These experiences opened doors for me regarding internship placement that provided opportunity for the development of real-world insight into the industry, invaluable hands-on skills, and most importantly the confidence to step out into the "real-world" feeling well-equipped and ready to begin my career. In addition to occupational growth, my involvement in the paper program has led me to a few of my very best friends. I was surrounded by friends and like-minded people who shared my goals and aspirations who not only supported me throughout my college career, but more importantly, challenged me to grow into the person I am today. WMU's paper program has truly set me up for success and shaped the path I can honestly say that I am excited to follow.
Where do you see yourself in five and 10 years, and what are your career aspirations?
The question "where do you see yourself in five years" is a largely vague question that I quite honestly do not enjoy answering. I personally believe that there are no pre-determined pathways in one's career, or life for that matter, and that all you can do is simply be open to and prepared for opportunities as they present themselves to you. To actually answer this question, however, I would simply say that I would like to see myself happy. I am happy when I am actively learning - applying new knowledge to solve new problems. I would like to see myself in a position five years and ten years down the road where I am on a career path that allows for me to continuously learn new things in an environment that is encouraging of and conducive to learning - both of which I firmly believe are likely in the paper industry.
What would you recommend to anyone who might be interested in getting into pulp and paper?
I would recommend anyone with the slightest interest in the pulp and paper industry go for it! Even if one is unsure of the path that they want to take in their future career, the industry offers such a wide variety of experiences and potential career paths from manufacturing settings, to research and development, to people management roles, to sales, and so much more. Whether you are interested in diving into the dirty work hands on or working fully remotely from the comfort of your home there are truly limitless opportunities with great room for growth and mobility. There is ample opportunity to explore new people, places, things, and cultures as jobs are often available across the U.S. from coast to coast. Being able to "try out" new cities and regions on internships has by far been the highlight of my academic career.
Please let us know of anything else of interest about your experiences in the program.
The ability to build not only a strong resume of relevant work experience while pursuing my degree, but also strong repour with said companies has allowed for me to secure full time placement beginning in August 2026 all the way back in October 2025 - meaning I got to rest easy most of my senior year knowing that I had a job lined up while guaranteeing time off between graduation and the beginning of my career for personal travel.
Please tell us what year you are in the program, your hometown, and anything interesting you might do in your free time.
I am a graduating senior - fourth year in the Paper and Chemical Engineering program at WMU. I am from Edwardsburg, MI, which is about an hour southwest of the university. I consider myself a relatively old soul - I find myself content on a bench with a good view and I enjoy reading a book at a local coffee shop. I also have a dog, an energetic, feisty little dachshund that eats up a lot of my time as well - we love to go on adventures together. I am also what you could call a Disney nerd - I know the WDW theme parks like the back of my hand and my guilty pleasure will likely always be curling up with a good snack and a Disney movie.
