What Women in Engineering at PTI Teach Us About Innovation
Every June we celebrate Women in Engineering Month, a time to recognize the contributions women make across technical fields and inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM. At PTI, it’s also an opportunity to reflect on something that sits at the heart of engineering itself: curiosity.
Whether developing a new package, improving recyclability, validating performance or helping brands meet evolving sustainability requirements, innovation starts with a simple question: Is there a better way?
Talk with the women engineers and technical professionals at PTI and a common theme quickly emerges. Their backgrounds may be different, but they share the same drive to solve problems, challenge assumptions and keep learning.
For Senior Engineer Shari Morse, that curiosity started early. “I was always really good at math and science in school and have always enjoyed figuring out how things work,” she says.
Today, more than 30 years into her PTI career, that motivation remains unchanged. “Even after 30 years, I am still learning new things and being challenged,” she says. “It’s always fun when you work on a project and then all of a sudden you see it in the store for the first time. That doesn’t get old.”
This level of excitement is echoed throughout PTI.
Project Engineer Addy Schmiedebusch remembers receiving a science book called Extreme Nature as a child and becoming fascinated by science at an early age. Today, she works on materials and recycling initiatives that help advance packaging sustainability.
“I always get excited when I can walk through a grocery store and point out all the packages that I have worked on at PTI,” she says.
For Director of Project Management Barb Balyear, engineering began with a love of cars. “My grandpa looked at me one day and said, ‘You should be an engineer,’” she recalls. “So that’s what I did.”
Twenty-five years after joining PTI as a college co-op, she still finds energy in the variety of challenges the company tackles every day. “You can get annoyed and frustrated,” she says with a laugh, “but not bored.”
Innovation Lives at the Intersection of Science and Sustainability
The work happening at PTI today reflects just how much packaging has evolved. Brands are being challenged to reduce material usage, increase recycled content, improve recyclability and navigate a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Sustainability goals that once felt aspirational are increasingly becoming business requirements.
Engineers play a critical role.
Across PTI’s development, testing and consulting teams, engineers help companies evaluate new materials, improve package performance and make informed decisions about recyclability and circularity.
For Schmiedebusch, whose work often focuses on recycling and materials, this impact is especially rewarding. “I really enjoy working on recyclability projects for packaging,” she says. “It’s always really great to see an innovation that made its way through PTI that will contribute to improving the recyclability of plastics.”
Balyear points to PTI’s work in sustainability and recyclability as some of the most meaningful work of her career. “Knowing that PTI is working to help companies be good stewards and put packaging into the market that is meeting current laws and requirements is rewarding,” she says.
Whether helping clients lightweight a package, improve recycled-content integration, validate APR compliance or bring an entirely new concept to market, PTI engineers are helping shape the future of packaging one project at a time.
Great Solutions Calls for Collaboration
Engineering is often associated with technical expertise, but the women at PTI repeatedly pointed to another ingredient behind innovation: collaboration.
“We often bounce problems and ideas off of each other,” says Morse. “Hearing someone else’s ideas and perspective often inspires other ideas and gets me thinking about a problem in a different way.”
Schmiedebusch shares a similar perspective. “Getting to hear different intelligent viewpoints from different people often helps problems get solved very quickly,” she says.
Sometimes those conversations lead to unexpected breakthroughs.
Business Development professional Jen Hambell recalls an early-career project involving a product formulation issue that seemed impossible to solve. A cross-functional team spent an entire weekend examining every possible cause.
The answer turned out to be a tiny ingredient that nobody initially suspected. The experience left her with a lesson she still carries today: “Never overlook the most unlikely piece of the puzzle.”
This mindset aligns closely with PTI’s approach to innovation. The best solutions often emerge when diverse perspectives, technical disciplines and experiences come together to challenge assumptions and explore possibilities.
Confidence Is Built One Challenge at a Time
Several women shared stories about entering engineering at a time when female representation was far less common than it is today. Morse remembers a geometry teacher who announced on the first day of class that girls typically didn’t perform as well as boys.
“I made a decision right then that I would show him,” she says.
Others recall being the only woman in customer meetings, technical reviews or project discussions. For Kim Harbert, persistence became one of the most valuable lessons of her career. “For years I was the only woman or the youngest in many meetings,” she says. “All I can say is, I persisted.”
The encouraging news is that many believe the industry continues to evolve. More women are pursuing engineering degrees, entering technical professions and serving as role models for future generations.
As Schmiedebusch notes, visibility matters. “If young girls see role models in STEM fields, they’ll be less afraid to pursue a STEM career themselves.”
The Future Needs Curious Minds
Ask the women of PTI what advice they would give the next generation and the answers share a common thread: stay curious.
Ask questions. Challenge assumptions. Keep learning.
As Director of Testing and Analytical Services, Kara Belcher, puts it: “Ask a lot of questions, but don’t be afraid to challenge the answers that are given.”
This philosophy has helped PTI remain at the forefront of packaging innovation for decades. The industry will continue to evolve. New materials will emerge. Sustainability expectations will grow. Regulations will change. Technologies will advance.
Meeting those challenges will require engineers who are willing to think differently and solve problems that don’t yet have answers.
At PTI, this work is already underway.
And for students, interns and young professionals considering a future in packaging, the opportunity has never been greater. Through internships, co-op programs, technical training and career development opportunities, PTI is helping build the next generation of packaging innovators. Today’s students are tomorrow’s engineers, project leaders and industry problem-solvers.
Interested in learning more? Explore PTI’s co-op opportunities, training resources and career paths to discover where a career in packaging innovation can take you.
Meet the Women Engineers of PTI
SHARI MORSE
Senior Engineer
Still Learning After Three Decades
When Shari Morse joined PTI 30 years ago, she couldn’t have predicted the countless packages, innovations and challenges that would come her way. What she did know was that she loved math, science and understanding how things work.
Today, that same curiosity continues to drive her.
With a background in chemistry and decades of experience in package development, Morse has helped clients improve packaging performance, incorporate recycled content and advance sustainability goals. Yet she says the best part of the job hasn’t changed.
“It’s always fun when you work on a project and then all of a sudden you see it in the store for the first time,” she says. “That doesn’t get old.”
BARB BALYEAR
Director of Project Management
From Car Enthusiast to Packaging Innovator
Long before she entered engineering, Barb Balyear was fascinated by cars. She loved their design. She loved their speed. Most importantly, she loved understanding how things were built.
The turning point came when she was 13 years old and talking with her grandfather about cars. “He looked at me and said, ‘You should be an engineer,'” she recalls.
She followed that advice, eventually joining PTI as a college co-op and building a 25-year career helping clients bring innovative packaging concepts to life. Along the way, she worked on iconic packages including Dasani and Coca-Cola bottle programs that remain on store shelves today.
Ask her what keeps her engaged after all these years and her answer comes quickly:
“You can get annoyed and frustrated, but not bored.”
ADDY SCHMIEDEBUSCH
Project Engineer
Building a Career Through Curiosity
One of the first books Addy Schmiedebusch remembers reading was Extreme Nature, a collection of science-focused stories she received in kindergarten.
Science clicked early.
Today, Schmiedebusch applies that passion to projects involving materials, recycling and packaging sustainability. After completing three internships with PTI, she accepted a full-time position and quickly discovered the value of working alongside experienced engineers willing to share knowledge and support new ideas.
She credits much of her professional growth to collaboration and mentorship. “All of the women I work with are role models to me,” she says.
Now, when she walks through a grocery store and spots a package she helped develop, she’s reminded that engineering ideas can become real-world solutions.
KIM HARBERT
Project Engineer, Packaging and Quality Specialist
The Hidden Engineering Behind Everyday Packaging
Most people pick up a water bottle without giving it a second thought. Not Kim Harbert.
Years in the packaging industry have taught her just how much engineering, design, testing and problem-solving go into even the simplest-looking package.
Materials must perform. Manufacturing processes must work. Sustainability goals must be met. Consumers must be able to use the package easily. All of this has shaped her perspective as a consumer.
Once you understand packaging, she says, every trip to the store becomes an engineering lesson. “I could not believe how much thought and time goes into just one bottle design.”
JEN HAMBELL
Business Development
Never Overlook the Unlikely Answer
One of the most important lessons Jen Hambell learned came early in her career. She was part of a team investigating a product formulation issue that seemed impossible to solve. After spending an entire weekend evaluating potential causes, the team finally identified the culprit: a tiny ingredient nobody initially suspected.
The experience reinforced a principle that still guides her work today: the answer isn’t always obvious.
Whether working with customers, technical teams or complex packaging challenges, Hambell believes curiosity and collaboration are often what lead to breakthroughs. “Never overlook the most unlikely piece of the puzzle,” she says.
KARA BELCHER
Director of Testing and Analytical Services
Ask Questions. Then Ask More.
Kara Belcher’s journey toward engineering began with a high school chemistry teacher who recognized her strengths in math and science and suggested chemical engineering as a career path.
This advice helped shape her future.
Today, Belcher enjoys the variety of work that comes with packaging innovation. One day might involve bottles, another day might involve closures or flexible packaging. Every project requires a different perspective and a willingness to keep learning.
When speaking with future engineers, she encourages them to embrace one habit above all others: questioning assumptions. Fresh perspectives often uncover opportunities that others miss.
Innovation, she believes, begins when people are willing to challenge the status quo. “Ask a lot of questions, but don’t be afraid to challenge the answers that are given.”
