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Following a very competitive national search, the MSU School of Packaging (SoP) announced that Dr. Brian Via will be its next director. His five-year appointment will begin on July 13, 2026.
Dr. Via joins MSU from Auburn University, where he held joint appointments as a full professor in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, and in the Department of Biosystems Engineering in the College of Agriculture.
Since 2012, he's directed the cross-disciplinary Forest Products Development Center, connecting academic and industry research across the forest products and packaging sectors. He has a strong track record in building corporate and philanthropic partnerships, guiding industry-ready technologies and managing research teams.
Dr. Via earned his bachelor's degree in Forestry and Wildlife and his M.Sc. in Forest and Forestry Products at Virginia Tech and his Ph.D. in Natural Resource Science from Louisiana State University. Before entering academia, he worked across the corporate supply chain, including packaging biotechnology, engineered wood materials and retail.
"Leading the world’s finest school of packaging as it expands its facility and global impact requires a distinctive skillset, and I know that Dr. Via's portfolio of experience has prepared him to succeed in this important role," said Matt Daum, Ph.D., Associate Provost and Dean of the (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR).
