Ryan Knudtson, a student at the University of Wisconsin – Stout, is the recipient of the 2016 Richard C. Ryan Packaging Education Scholarship, funded by Dorner Mfg. Corp.
This $2,000 scholarship, awarded to a student enrolled in a two- or four-year program at any of PMMI’s partner schools was established in honor of Richard Ryan, the former president and CEO of Dorner, who passed away suddenly in September 2012. Ryan was a member of the PMMI Board of Directors and encouraged lifelong learning. His commitment to education inspired the creation of this memorial scholarship.
“We are very impressed with the quality of applicants for the Richard C. Ryan Packaging Education Scholarship,” said Terry Schadeberg, president, and CEO, Dorner Manufacturing Corp. “We are pleased to have selected Ryan Knudtson as the 2016 recipient.”
Kundtson is in his second year as a packaging major at UWS. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education and taught three years before he made the courageous decision to go back to school to pursue a degree in packaging. He currently holds a 3.94 GPA and plans on completing a seven-month long internship at Johnsonville in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
“I wholeheartedly endorse the aspirations of Ryan,” said Brenda S. Puck, instructor, Engineering and Technology Department, University of Wisconsin – Stout. “His talents, intelligence, and creativity will serve him well in the packaging engineering field. He will be an asset to any organization, bringing knowledge, leadership skills, caring, enthusiasm and professionalism to his colleagues.”
In its fourth year, the scholarship is awarded to a student who presents merit in GPA, faculty recommendation and commitment to excellence within the packaging industry. Students applying for the scholarship must meet the following criteria:
- Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Be enrolled in either a two- or four-year school and pursuing an undergraduate degree
- Be majoring in packaging engineering or a related area
- Demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the packaging area
- Be currently enrolled and attending a PMMI partnering school
- Demonstrate extra-curricular involvement, such as athletics
- Have a recommendation from faculty
- Have a financial need
Founded in 1933, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, is a trade association made up of more than 650 member companies that manufacture packaging, processing and packaging-related converting machinery, commercially-available packaging machinery components, containers and materials in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. PMMI’s vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging and processing, and its mission is to improve and promote members’ abilities to succeed in a global marketplace.