Continued success of the college’s pulp and paper program within the Department of Chemical Engineering reflects its strength across education, research and industry partnership, said Zhihua Jiang, the Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation Endowed Associate Professor.
“We are working on education, research and development and outreach activities, and in all three areas, the program is growing remarkably,” said Jiang, director of the Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering (AC-PABE). “Our undergraduate enrollment reached 100 students selected from more than 400 applicants, and our graduate program has grown to a cohort of 12.
“We have been very successful in securing new research funding, and our efforts have been recognized both internally and externally.”
Jiang said the program’s momentum is most visible in students, whose job-ready preparation draw praise — and job offers — from industry partners.
“Hiring managers see the difference of our students,” he said. “They see clearly our students are more prepared, more ready for the industry. Companies come in and ask for more students, and along the way they ask me what they can do to help us bring more students to the door. It becomes a very good circle from education to industry to ultimately giving back to the program. Industry helps us, which helps them.”
Since 2017, AC-PABE has led or partnered on 38 funded research projects totaling more than $50 million. Recent work includes continued development of a soft‑sensor technology for deformer flow control, a project already implemented in two pulp and paper mills.
Jiang is also the Auburn principal investigator for a recently announced three-year Department of Education project, “Peroxyacid Pulping and Bleaching (PPB) to Replace the Prehydrolysis Kraft (PHK) Process for Dissolving Pulp Production.”
The project is a collaboration between Washington State University, Idaho National Laboratory, Rayonier Advanced Materials, the University of Cincinnati and Auburn University, with a total budget of $3 million, including $800,000 supporting the Auburn team.
“We are not doing research for research,” said Jiang, recipient of the college’s Senior Faculty Research Award for Excellence. “We are converting our research ideas into applied engineering solutions for mills. When industry sees we can really help them, they are willing to help us even more.”
Industry and foundation support remain pillars of the program’s growth, Jiang said.
The Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation has also experienced remarkable growth. It now includes 46 member companies that provide scholarships, internships, co‑ops and direct support for student development and the pulp and paper program. Jiang often brings alumni into mill trials and project work, pairing them with current students to accelerate learning on both sides.
A number of students earned TAPPI and Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation awards in the past year. They are: Tanner Stogner (Ted Crane Memorial Leadership Endowed Scholarship), Gavin Knight (Neal McDevitt Scholar Award), Michael Reuss (John Smyth Scholar Award), Sophia Halstead (Jim Gresham Scholar Award), Zoe Parten (Terry Cantrell Scholar Award), Phedra Peter (Charles Sewell Scholar Award) and Davis McCaleb (Chris Spraggins Scholar Award).
Reuss and Naomi Gehling, TAPPI student advisor and University Planning Chair, earned national recognition from the organization at the TAPPI-PIMA Student Summit, Jan. 17-19, in Birmingham. Reuss received the PIMA Student Leadership Award, TAPPI’s top national recognition for student leaders, said five years of involvement with TAPPI has sharpened skills that transcend technical coursework.
Reuss and Gehling were also named “Heroes of the Student Summit,” an internal recognition from organizers honoring their leadership in planning and executing the event for a second consecutive year.
Gehling helped coordinate programming, logistics and industry outreach and introduced an interactive, hands-on professional development workshop that shifted one session block from a traditional panel format to an experiential learning model.”
“I watch students come into the program, learn, grow and then go out into the industry, and the relationship does not end there,” Jiang said. “They come back to help with projects, they support our students and they stay connected. I always remind our graduating seniors that their connection to the program continues well beyond their time on campus.”
Jiang’s work was recognized nationally when he was inducted as a TAPPI Fellow, one of the association’s highest honors, in a special ceremony, April 26, at TAPPICon in Columbus, Ohio.
“I take it as a recognition of our entire program, our entire team and the support from our foundation,” he said. “This is not about me. This is about the program. It is about the people who work together, the students who work hard, the faculty who support the mission and the industry partners who trust us.”
Why choose pulp and paper? Jiang pointed to the sustainable impact of the industry.
“I tell students, ‘Your future is bright because the industry — built on renewable feedstocks and producing biodegradable products — will be there,’” he said. “There is strong demand for young engineers, and many of our students quickly step into leadership roles after entering the workforce.
“Our strong relationship with the foundation and our industry partners makes a tremendous difference. Our program is in excellent shape.”