Dear Alumni, Friends, and Corporate Sponsors, 

This is my first year working with the Foundation, and it certainly has been a learning experience! Thank goodness for great mentors like Sheryle Tepp! 

As a 1985 Paper Science graduate, I could think of no better way to give back to the Foundation and program that helped me with so much support. I hope to continue to build upon the great tradition created by those who came before me, and continue to grow and evolve the organization to meet the ever-changing needs of this dynamic industry. Like every successful organization, we will continually focus on effectiveness and efficiency in fulfilling our mission.

Our Alumni and supporting members are so important to the Foundation and to the students your support enables us to defray up to about 50% of tuition costs with a total of nearly $13,000 currently available to each student that qualifies through their school years.

Contributions in FY2025 topped $212,000 between Paper Industry and allied Companies, and individual contributors.

While direct donations slowed down this year, support for activities like the Golf Outing and Career Fair was incredible again this year, raising over $40,000 which will go towards defraying administrative costs for the Foundation

Our student body continues to grow, as total enrollment topped 100 for the first time in recent history in FY24-25, and therefore our budget demand for scholarships is growing as well. FY 23-24 had over 20% growth in scholarships granted, and we anticipate a record number of scholarships awarded again this fiscal year.

Our Board of Directors knows that whatever we do, it is never too much. We believe that UWSP PS&ChE is the best value for your money, but we still need to communicate that fact, and compete for name recognition. In order to keep pace and compete with other Pulp and Paper programs, and Chemical Engineering programs, we recognize that even more incentives will be needed to recruit and retain the best students in the industry.

The Board is already engaged and taking up the challenge, by expanding the Board membership, expanding committee engagement, and increasing high school recruiting efforts.

Whether you represent yourself, your class or your company, what do you want your legacy to be? Active involvement in this awesome foundation can include Scholarship Endowment contribution, Board of Directors membership, Internship or Co-Op sponsor, or fundraising activity participation - you have plenty of ways to contribute. Whatever you choose, thank you again for your support!

We’re looking forward to great FY2025-26!

As I work through my second year as President of the Paper Science & Chemical Engineering Foundation at UWSP, I am extremely proud to part of a wonderful organization with a storied past, present and future.  The Foundation just celebrated its 51st year of supporting the Paper Science & Chemical Engineering Program at UWSP.  I want to convey my deepest thank you to all of the wonderful Staff, Students and Directors of the Foundation who have grown this partnership from $12,000 in assets in 1974 to over $6 million in assets today.  The Foundation has awarded approximately $2 million in scholarships to well deserving students over 50 years and additional support for Faculty and Staff of the Paper Science & Chemical Engineering ProgramThis year with enrollment in the program back to over 100 students, we plan to award $120,000 in scholarships to the Paper Science & Chemical Engineering students.  The program is doing wonderful, and industry and alumni support has been stepping up to the plate with increased donations to support higher numbers of students.  Total Contributions this year far exceeded our budget of $225,000 at $296,000. Industry and alumni support allows the Foundation to support students at a rate of about 50% of the tuition costs.

This year with enrollment in the program at over 100 students, we plan to award $140,000 in scholarships to the Paper Science & Chemical Engineering students.  The program is doing wonderfully and industry and alumni support has been stepping up to the plate with increased donations to support higher numbers of students.  Total Contributions this year far exceeded $212,000. Industry and alumni support allows the Foundation to support students at a rate of about 50% of the tuition costs. And this year, we are excited to see the Process Control Engineering Certificate program rolling out for all industry leaders looking to enhance their skills in controls.

Dear Alumni, Friends, and Donors,

On behalf of the Department of Paper Science and Chemical Engineering, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for your continued generosity. Your commitment to advancing engineering education and innovation strengthens our ability to prepare the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers. As I take the reigns from Karyn Biasca, I am pleased to share some of our key achievements from 2025.

Student enrollment in both programs continues to show positive momentum. We welcomed 24 Freshmen this fall – and we are encouraged by the increase in transfer students from other UW campuses and community colleges. This year, 16 students graduated from our programs. While most accepted positions within the paper industry and its affiliates, several ventured into new sectors, including waste treatment, crude oil drilling services, and nuclear energy.

Our capstone (senior design) courses once again challenged students to apply their technical knowledge to comprehensive, real-world projects. This year’s projects included pilot stock preparation optimization and the redesign of an aging cumene production facility. Students presented both oral and poster sessions during the annual Academic Advisory Committee meeting in May. We are especially grateful to the Foundation members who directly supported these senior design initiatives.

Industry partnership remains central to our mission. We welcomed a new faculty member to support the graduate Certificate in Process Control – the only program of its kind in the nation. The program launched its first course this Fall. Our faculty also engaged multiple undergraduates in research, guiding them in publishing and presenting their work. Six students presented their research at TAPPI, AIChE, and the WiSys SPARK Symposium.

Thanks to the Foundation's generous support, we continued to sponsor student attendance at professional conferences. Fifteen juniors attended TAPPI PaperCon in Minneapolis; ten students participated in the TAPPI Student Summit in St. Petersburg, Florida; three attended the Society of Women Engineers Conference in New Orleans; and three presented at the AIChE Student Annual Meeting in Boston.

This fall semester, our Career Fair welcomed 37 companies to campus, providing students with ample opportunities for internships and full-time employment – continuing our strong record of 100% job placement at graduation. Also, more than 150 donors, guests, and students attended the Foundation Banquet in October, featuring Lawton Roberts, incoming CEO of TAPPI, as the keynote speaker.

Wisconsin continues to need more engineers, and we are proud that our graduates are contributing meaningfully across manufacturing sectors, particularly in the pulp and paper industry. Our programs have the capacity and commitment to educate even more future leaders. Please accept our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support..

Thank you again for your dedication to our department. We look forward to continuing our partnership.