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 “TIPs are a great way to participate on a small team. They provide a defined period of time to accomplish a shared goal, and you get an opportunity to hear other’s opinions and contribute your own.” – Paula Hajakian 

Meet Paula Hajakian, Technical Manager, Paper and Board, at U.S. Gypsum, Inc., in Chicago, IL.  As an active TAPPI volunteer, including serving as Chair of the Paper and Board Division and as Working Group Chair for Technical Information Papers (TIPs), her love for the industry resonates when she speaks.

Paula has been a TAPPI Member since 1990 and a TAPPI Fellow since 2019. As Chair of the Paper and Board Division, she also served as the Technical Program Committee Chair for the papermaking track at PaperCon. Being an active member of TAPPI’s Women in Industry (WIN) Division, Paula mentored a few young women coming into the industry, which is a role she always cherished.

 Early in my career as an engineer, long before I ever participated in TIPs reviews, I referred to TIPs when in-depth knowledge was required to trouble-shoot papermaking processes or install new equipment. The role I initially took in the Water Removal Committee Tracking Forming and Pressing TIPs was daunting based on the number of TIPs and technical content supported by that subcommittee.  It is a significant and important role to participate in the review of TIPs and the creation of new ones to support and sustain our industry.