Unconventional Path to Packaging

May 11, 2026

I didn’t start my career thinking about boxes, bottles, or barrier films. I started with molecules.

As a chemistry student pursuing my Bachelor of Science in chemistry, I was fascinated by reactions, structures, and the invisible forces that shape the physical world. I loved understanding why materials behave the way they do. But I didn’t yet know that this curiosity would lead me somewhere unexpected—the wide world of packaging.

That shift began while I was at North Carolina State University participating in a Summer Scholars program through Cornell University, where I studied food science. I developed and packaged a probiotic sweet potato juice—a product that required far more than a good formulation. Beyond ingredients, I was now working with materials, oxygen transmission rates, light barriers, labeling regulations, and consumer perception.

In that moment, chemistry became tangible. Barrier properties weren’t abstract equations—they determined shelf life. Polymer compatibility wasn’t theoretical—it influenced food safety. Processing conditions weren’t academic—they shaped scalability.

That experience reframed everything for me. Packaging wasn’t secondary to product development. It was central to it.

Today, as academic director at The Packaging School, I see firsthand how many professionals arrive in packaging through unconventional paths, just as I did. Chemistry may have been my entry point, but packaging is a field that welcomes diverse academic backgrounds and transforms them into dynamic careers.

This realization ultimately sparked a bigger conversation at The Packaging School—one led by our marketing and sustainability specialist, Mitch Webster. He recognized that so many professionals in our network had taken nonlinear routes into packaging, and he saw the opportunity to shine a spotlight on their stories.

That insight became the foundation for our Unconventional Paths to Packaging series, a collection that showcases the diverse academic backgrounds fueling this industry and proves there is no single “correct” way into packaging. Let’s take a deeper look at how different academic backgrounds translate into packaging careers through some of the standout examples Webster highlights in the series, starting with my own.

Chemistry Majors: From Molecules to Materials

My journey is part of a broader pattern: Chemistry majors bring a unique and powerful skill set to the world of packaging. At its core, packaging is about controlling the interaction between a product and its environment, and that’s exactly where chemistry shines.

Chemists are trained to think critically about how molecules interact, which translates directly to selecting the right materials for packaging. For example, they can determine which polymers best block oxygen or moisture, predict how coatings and adhesives will behave over time, and troubleshoot potential reactions between packaging and the product inside.

This expertise isn’t just theoretical—
it drives real-world innovation, from creating flexible films for snack foods to designing compostable packaging solutions that meet sustainability goals. In other words, chemists don’t just understand what happens in packaging; they understand why and can engineer solutions to optimize performance.

Psychology Majors: Designing for Human Behavior

Packaging doesn’t just protect products; it guides decisions. And that’s where psychology majors shine. Their expertise in cognition, perception, behavioral economics, and emotional triggers allows them to understand how consumers think, feel, and act in the moments that matter most: on the shelf, online, or during unboxing.

In packaging, psychology backgrounds often contribute to areas such as consumer research and testing, brand perception analysis, color and typography impact studies, user experience and unboxing design, e-commerce packaging behavior insights, and even the effectiveness of sustainability messaging. This helps brands understand not just what consumers buy, but why they buy and how packaging can influence decisions at both conscious and subconscious levels.

History Majors: Context, Culture, and the Future of Packaging

At first glance, history and packaging may seem worlds apart. But historians are trained in pattern recognition, contextual analysis, and storytelling—skills that are invaluable in a rapidly evolving industry.

Packaging reflects cultural values and adapts alongside technology, regulations, sustainability trends, and consumer expectations. History majors excel at interpreting these shifts, contributing to trend analysis, sustainability research, brand storytelling, regulatory studies, and understanding market changes across time and geography.

They bring exceptional communication skills, essential in an industry that requires extensive collaboration across teams. Understanding shifts in consumer priorities—from convenience to sustainability—and evolving food safety regulations helps guide innovation today.

The Bigger Picture: Packaging as an Interdisciplinary Industry

What ties these stories together isn’t a specific degree; it’s applied thinking. Packaging sits at the intersection of science, engineering, design, consumer behavior, sustainability, supply chain logistics, and business strategy.

My professional career—from studying science to exploring food development and ultimately working in packaging education—reflects the industry itself: diverse, collaborative, and full of opportunity. There’s no single doorway into packaging. Scientific knowledge matters. Understanding people matters. Context and culture matter. Packaging needs all of it.

Julie Rice Suggs, Ph.D., is academic director at The Packaging School. She can be reached at 330-774-8542 or julie@packagingschool.com.

Alli Keigley, who contributed to this article, is production coordinator at The Packaging School. She can be reached at alli@packagingschool.com.