Sub Template

On July 1 of 2003 most of IPST became an integral part of Georgia Tech. Preparation for the transition from the old IPST to the new "IPST at Georgia Tech" began last January. Professor Ronald W. Rousseau, the Chair of Georgia Tech's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, served as the interim director of IPST from January through August of this year and oversaw the transition. I was named Director of IPST as of September 1.

While the official integration date was July 1, 2003, parts of the transition process will continue through December, 2004. Until then, there are actually two separate IPST's. One is called IPST at Georgia Tech. It is a research institute with a technical and limited administrative staff, it oversees the academic program, and I am its director. The other is called IPST Inc. Its primary function is to manage the membership and other contracts, IPST’s endowments, and other financial proceedings through June 30, 2004, when all financial transactions, the endowments, and other IPST assets will become the responsibility of Georgia Tech. IPST Inc. will remain in place through December 2004 to allow some of our graduate students to complete their degrees under the old IPST academic program. E. J. (Woody) Rice is the president of IPST Inc. Woody had been Vice President for Business Development and External Affairs at IPST since 1992.

As you can probably imagine, there was some turmoil during the transition, and there still remains some confusion among our stakeholders - our students, our faculty and staff, our member companies and sponsors, our new colleagues at Georgia Tech, the alumni, and others - about who we now are and about our status. My intent with this letter is to answer many of those about IPST at Georgia Tech. Undoubtedly I will not answer all of your questions in this letter, and I hope you will feel free to contact me about any further questions or matters of concern regarding us and your relationship with IPST and Georgia Tech.

Let's start with the Academic Program, as it has undergone some rather fundamental changes. Georgia Tech now offers degrees in Paper Science and Engineering. Both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered. The PSE academic program currently resides within three of the schools at Georgia Tech: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Mechanical Engineering. The schools of Materials Science and Engineering and Biology are preparing to offer PSE degrees and we expect to have those in place within a year. Students within the participating schools complete courses in both paper science and engineering and in the major of the home school (Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, etc.)

The PSE academic program is overseen by a PSE Graduate Committee. The role and responsibilities of this committee were defined and approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, when they approved the entire PSE program. The PSE graduate committee consists of one PSE faculty member from each of the five participating schools at Georgia Tech, the Graduate Coordinators from each of the schools that is currently offering a PSE degree, and the Director of IPST as chair of the committee.

As was previously the case, all PSE graduate students receive stipends from IPST’s endowment funds for student support. The amounts of their stipends are the same as received by other graduate students in each of the home schools.

As of July 1 there were approximately 60 graduate students at IPST, including those who had been admitted for Fall 2003. Those students who will complete their degrees by December 31, 2004 have the option of receiving their degrees either from IPST under the old academic program, or from Georgia Tech under the new PSE program. Those who graduate after that date will receive their degrees from Georgia Tech. Approximately one third of the currently enrolled students will receive at least one degree under the old IPST degree programs. The schools at Georgia Tech have been very accommodating in transferring IPST course credits for those students who will receive their degrees from Georgia Tech.

Twelve academic faculty members from IPST now hold tenured or tenure-track appointments within the five participating schools at Georgia Tech. Starting on July 1, 2004, their salaries are to be paid by the State of Georgia. These faculty members are teaching the pulp and paper science and technology courses that are now being offered through the respective schools at Georgia Tech. They are also supervising the thesis work of the PSE students. In addition, many Georgia Tech faculty members who had not been at IPST are also involved in supervising of PSE graduate students; in most cases, this involves a collaborative effort with one or more of the former IPST faculty members. Collaboration of this sort is of course not new to IPST and Georgia Tech, but it has increased considerably since the integration.

There are currently 23 research faculty members at IPST. They are assigned to the research institute of IPST at Georgia Tech, rather than to schools at Georgia Tech. Their salaries are paid from member-supported research programs and external research contracts. Their responsibilities have changed relatively little with the integration.

The IPST Board of Trustees approved the integration with Georgia Tech in early 2003. Our industrial members are taking an active role in helping to reshape IPST as it becomes a part of Georgia Tech. The research programs that have been sponsored by our member companies have continued seamlessly and without disruption during the transition. This did not happen by itself, but was the result of a concerted effort by the Research Advisory Committee, the IPST faculty and staff, and the Georgia Tech administration to insure a minimal disruption of on-going research.

One result of the integration with Georgia Tech is that all membership agreements between IPST and its member companies expire as of June 30, 2004. Reestablishment of those membership agreements with industry is essential to the continued viability and stability of IPST at Georgia Tech. David White, Ron Rousseau, Woody Rice, and I have been working diligently since July 1 to reestablish the membership agreements. The reception by our current member companies and some potential new ones has been very encouraging. Although we will not know for certain until next spring, my expectation is that we will have a strong membership base reestablished before July 1, 2004 rolls around.

In my opinion, IPST's integration into Georgia Tech will be recognized as the most important step since its founding to increase its ability to support the pulp and paper and related industries. The transition from IPST to IPST at Georgia Tech continues to go well, but as with any major institutional transition, it has not been without its bumps and uncertainties. Both will continue, but will diminish in intensity, during the next eight months, and we look for two smoother sailing in the years ahead.