Plastics touch every aspect of life. Without plastics, much of what we depend on daily at work and home would disappear. Despite its prevalence, the moldable material doesn’t enjoy top-of-the-mind awareness, especially among the current generation of students. This episode of degrees that work. attempts to change that. The expertise of national experts is combined with the work of high school students engaged in a plastics project to illuminate the exciting nature and possibilities of the field. Visits to NPE 2009 in Chicago, the largest gathering of plastics professionals in the world, and to K’NEX Brands, one of the largest injection molders in the country, provide additional insight into a sector that offers ample, rewarding career opportunities for today’s students.

Featured Interviews

• Michael Araten
  President & CEO
  K’NEX Brands
• Dr. Kirk Cantor
  Professor, Plastics & Polymer Technology
  Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Bill Carteaux
  President & CEO
  The Society of Plastics Industry, Inc.
• Dana Gier
  R&D Director Plastics Technical Service & Development
  The Dow Chemical Company
• Robert Grace
  Editor/Associate Publisher/Conference Director
  Plastics News
• Dennis Gros
  President
  Gros Executive Recruiters
• Greg Koski
  Principal
  Plastics.com
• Todd Lorson
  Technical Education Teacher
  Loyalsock Township Senior High School
• Julie McKenna
  Senior Development Specialist Plastics Technical Service & Development
  The Dow Chemical Company
• Erica Ocampo
  Development Specialist, Latin America Plastics Technical Service & Development
  The Dow Chemical Company
• Gerardo Peña
  Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology Student
  Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Craig Rockoff
  Student
  Loyalsock Township Senior High School
• Nick Schmitt
  Plastics & Polymer Technology Student
  Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Tim Weston
  Associate Professor & Department Head, Plastics & Polymer Technology
  Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Tim Womer
  Chief Technical Officer
  Xaloy Inc.

Supplemental Videos

Women of Dow

Julie McKenna Women of Dow

Erica Ocampo Women of Dow

Dana Gier NPE 2009

Bill Carteaux Plastics Going Green

  KNEX Brands

Michael Araten

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Credits

• Producer/ Director/ Editor/ Camera
  • Chris Leigh
• Producer/ Writer/ Editor/ Camera/ Narration
  • Tom Speicher
• Graphics
  • Kevin Jones
• Music
  • FirstCom Music
• Production Support
  • Timothy Cotter
  • Leah Mather
• Animation
  • Christopher Legarski
• Executive Producers
  • Elaine Lambert
  • Tom Currá
  
  Images/video courtesy
  
  • BASF Corp
  • David Shankbone
  • Demag Plastics Group
  • Hexion Specialty Chemicals GmbH
  • K’NEX Brands
  • Kuka Robotics Corp.
  • Martino Communications
  • Metabolix Inc.
  • NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org
  • NatureWorks LLC
  • Pennsylvania College of Technology
  • Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
  • Pittsburg State University
  • Plastics News photo by Bill Bregar
  • Teknor Apex Company
  • The NewsMarket
  • The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Western Washington University
    
  
  Special Thanks
  • John Bartolomucci
  • Elizabeth Biddle
  • Ing. Piergiorgio Biscuola
  • Julie Clees
  • Matt Corson
  • Marcel Dartée
  • Linda Fischer
  • Joe Geffre
  • Stacey Hampton
  • Larry Kauffman
  • Hollee Keller
  • Michelle Kirchman
  • Robert Malloy
  • Kevin McGrath
  • Gary McQuay
  • Cindy Meixel
  • Donald Praster
  • Todd Riley
  • Susan Stopper
  • K’NEX Brands
  • Loyalsock Township Senior High School
  • Martino Communications
  • Plastics News
  • SPI
  • The Rodon Group