who have made preeminent contributions to the global paper industry.In our second podcast, Paper360° Editorial Director Jan Bottiglieri speaks with Dr. Michael J. Kocurek, Professor Emeritus of Paper Science & Engineering at North Carolina State University and one of the world’s most recognized educators in the pulp and paper industry.
For 45 years, Dr. Kocurek has taught TAPPI’s highly-ranked short course on Introduction to Pulp & Paper Technology. Dr. Kocurek is a TAPPI Fellow, and has received a host of other awards, including induction into the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame – an honor bestowed to recognize people who have made preeminent contributions to the global paper industry.
In this episode, Dr. Kocurek shares his experiences teaching TAPPI’s oldest course. “The idea of taking a complicated topic and presenting it so that everybody in the room can understand it—that’s what gives me the greatest gratification,” he says.
Attracting, training, and retaining young pulp and paper industry professionals is another discussion point—Dr. Kocurek has taught thousands over his 45-year career. As he explains, “The need is great for young professionals—but the opportunity is also great.” Dr. Kocurek shares his perspectives on how YPs can take advantage of those opportunities, as well as on e-Learning, COVID challenges, how he stays engaged with the industry, and more.
A passionate educator with a deep knowledge of the pulp and paper technologies, Dr. Kocurek has made an indelible mark on our industry, and we’re excited to share this lively conversation on BETTER TOGETHER.
BETTER TOGETHER can be found on numerous podcast platforms, including Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, as well as on tappi.org and the Paper360° website. If you would like to be a guest on BETTER TOGETHER, make suggestions for future topics, ask questions, or simply engage in conversation about the topic du jour, please visit connect.tappi.org or send an email to podcast@tappi.org.
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