In this episode of the SNEED-CAST, host Alexa welcomes back Haley Appleby, faculty member at Clemson University and co-director of the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics. Haley shares updates on the Institute’s 15-year milestone, new lab upgrades, and the launch of Clemson’s Sustainability Leadership Program, which connects students with industry leaders in packaging and sustainability.
Together, Alexa and Haley dive into how real-world experience—from Apple to Fisher-Price—shapes classroom learning, why networking and storytelling matter for students entering the workforce, and what’s next for packaging education and innovation.
If you’re passionate about sustainability, packaging science, or the future of workforce development, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
⏱️ Chapter Timestamps
00:00 – Cold open: Laser-etching avocados?!
00:30 – Welcome back Haley Appleby
00:50 – Haley’s role at Clemson & the Sonoco Institute
02:08 – Launching the Sustainability Leadership Program
03:25 – Networking, panels, and mentorship for students
05:05 – Crafting your sustainability story (with Dr. Hurley)
06:40 – Upcoming session: The business case for sustainability
07:15 – Bringing Apple & Fisher-Price experience into the classroom
08:07 – Teaching professionalism & critical thinking as job skills
08:34 – Sponsor: SNEED-JET® XL printer
09:10 – Sonoco Institute’s 15-year milestone
09:59 – Growth in continuing education & industry seminars
10:51 – Upcoming paperboard packaging seminars & lab upgrades
11:17 – END – Looking ahead at expansion and innovation
