Michigan State Honors Packaging Alumnus

On March 1, 2024, Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) awarded Austin Liu its Outstanding Up and Coming Alumni Award. The award honors individuals who have obtained a high level of professional accomplishment and who possess high standards of integrity and character to positively reflect and enhance the prestige of the CANR within 15 years of graduation.

“Michigan State University and CANR mean a lot to me; in short, I bleed green,” Liu said. “It is here where I found my passion for packaging and community. It is where I learned how to become part of a group of individuals who forge new paths, think bigger, and do more – together.”

Liu describes himself as a passionate packaging professional keen on solving wicked healthcare problems to promote patient safety through microbiological quality. He graduated from the School of Packaging in 2019 and currently works as a senior packaging engineer at Abbott. Prior to joining Abbott, Liu supported the healthcare value chain at Johnson & Johnson, SteriPack Contract Manufacturing, and Packaging Compliance Labs in various packaging engineering and program management roles.

His career accomplishments include the generation of new contract service revenue streams, execution of validation requirements related to healthcare packaging design and processes, development of co-op programs, and management of a diagnostic solutions portfolio in support of global supply chain issues during the pandemic that resulted in a tenfold increase in US plant revenue within eight months.

Paying it forward.

Liu is equally committed to developing the next generation of packaging professionals. Inspired by his experience at the School of Packaging, he has continually found ways to give back and support opportunities for current students through his industry connections, mentorship, and generous philanthropic support.

Shortly after graduation, Liu provided graduate students at the School of Packaging with funds to support fees associated with open-source publications, increasing equitable publishing access for students. He has also funded students to attend various industry conferences, enhancing networking opportunities and furthering their personal development. He is currently establishing an endowment at the School of Packaging that will support students focused on healthcare packaging.

Liu has also demonstrated service to the healthcare packaging industry through various capacities in standards development, grassroots research and development, and professional development organizations. This includes serving through leadership roles or active participation in the Medical Device Packaging Technical Committee (MDPTC), Kilmer Innovations in Packaging (KiiP), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), and ASTM International D10 (Packaging) and F02 (Primary Barrier Packaging) Technical Committees. 

Reflecting on his award win, Liu commented: “Being selected for this award feels absolutely delightful to me because I consider it as recognition from my community and family, which are my top two priorities in life.”