New director of Center for Unit Load Design named

Ralph L. Rupert of Blacksburg, Va., has been named the new director of the Center for Unit Load Design (CULD).

Rupert joined the center in 1999 and will manage all center testing and evaluations. In addition to his duties as director, he will also teach continuing education courses.

Before joining the center, Rupert worked with plastics at Weyerhaeuser in northern Illinois, where he managed the containerboard division test lab. A native of Ohio, Rupert received his degree from the University of Akron.

“His goal for the center is to continue to expand and apply systems based design across the industry—a concept that fits well with current corporate environmental sustainability initiatives,” said Paul Winistorfer, department head of wood science and forest products in the College of Natural Resources. .

“I am pleased that Ralph Rupert has been selected to direct the activities of the Center for Unit Load Design,” commented Marshall “Mark” White, founder of CULD. “Ralph brings continuity to the transition, while recognizing the importance and opportunities associated with industry and academia collaboration. I am confident that under Ralph’s direction, and with the support of industry and the university, the center will flourish in the future.”

The College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top five programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and instill in students a sense of stewardship and land-use ethics. Areas of studies include environmental resource management, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geospatial and environmental analysis, natural resource recreation, urban forestry, wood science and forest products, geography, and international development.