The Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences invites Auburn faculty, staff and students to join industry stakeholders for a reception
and panel discussion to explore the future of the packaging industry and its implications for research and academic programs.

Packaging is a trillion-dollar market and currently the third-largest industry in the world. This growth, coupled with the rising consumer demand for eco-friendly
packaging, is inspiring many traditional forest product companies to expand their operations to include sustainable biomaterial and packaging. In this discussion,
we will discover how partnerships between academia and industry have the potential to propel innovation forward through education, research and development.

Panelists for the discussion are Dr. Dana Breed, global research and development director of packaging and sustainability at The Coca-Cola Company, and
Dr. Laurent Matuana, associate director and professor of biomaterials and composites in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University. Dr. Yucheng Peng,
assistant professor of sustainable packaging systems in the Auburn School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences’ Forest Products Development Center, will serve as
the discussion moderator.

The reception and panel discussion will be held on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 2:30 p.m. in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Building Conference Hall, room 1101,
located on 602 Duncan Drive, Auburn, Ala. The event is free and open to the public. Parking will be available on the third and fourth levels of the South
Quad Parking Deck. For more details, please contact Dr. Peng at yzp0027@auburn.edu.