Pulp and paper companies are hiring undergraduate students and at a fast pace and trend only looks to continue, according to Dr. Chris Luettgen, director of Georgia Tech’s Pulp and Paper Engineering Undergraduate Certificate Program and Foundation. Luettgen made the comments in the PPF summer newsletter.

Luettgen is also Professor of the Practice in ChBE, an associate director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute and director of Professional Masters in Manufacturing Leadership through GT’s Professional Education.

Whether it be an improved economy, or a realization of the impending impact of the “graying tsunami,” recruiters are going after students at Georgia Tech. In addition, a natural cyclic nature of industrial health is evident, in that many engineering students have come to realize petrochemical is perhaps not the career path for them. “Biomaterials is where it’s at."

While exact figures regarding offers and hiring are difficult to determine, some students in the spring course on Papermaking received offers from pulp and paper and supplier companies with just one Certificate course completed.

“We also saw increased interest and enrollment in the course, and an increase in the number of students completing the full Pulp & Paper Certificate Program,” Luettgen said. “In fact, this calendar year, it appears we will have seven completing the Certificate.”

There are 70 undergraduates registered through Phase I. Phase 2 opens in August. The Certificate includes three credit hours of independent research/special topics.

For more information, visit the Certificate program website.