Who We Are
The Syracuse Pulp & Paper Foundation (SPPF) helps students launch promising engineering careers in the pulp, paper, and allied industries.
Who We Are
The Syracuse Pulp & Paper Foundation (SPPF) helps students launch promising engineering careers in the pulp, paper, and allied industries.
Empowering Students Today to Drive Innovation Tomorrow
The pulp, paper, and allied industries play a vital role in our world—supporting everything from packaging and medical supplies to cosmetics and car parts.
The Syracuse Pulp & Paper Foundation (SPPF) prepares students to lead this essential and evolving field. In partnership with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), we help students launch engineering careers that meet the needs of modern society and drive sustainable innovation.
Since 1960, SPPF has worked alongside industry leaders to develop skilled talent and meet evolving demands. We are cultivating the next generation of engineers who will carry these vital industries forward—stronger, smarter, and more sustainable for generations to come.
Rooted in Support
We provide support that is student-centered and industry-driven. Through full-tuition scholarships, grants, paid internships, and personalized guidance from a network of alumni and industry leaders, we help students pursue their goals. They benefit from small class sizes, dedicated ESF faculty, and hands-on experience through co-ops and internships—bridging classroom learning with practical opportunities. Graduates enter the workforce with little or no debt, career-ready, and equipped for high-demand jobs.
Built to Connect
SPPF bridges the gap between education, industry, and opportunity through a deeply engaged community of volunteers, donors, alumni, and industry leaders. This network doesn’t just support students financially—it mentors them, guides them, and welcomes them into a profession built on innovation and sustainability. Together, we’re creating pathways that benefit everyone: students gain the education and connections they need to succeed, while employers gain access to talented, career-ready engineers.
Driven by Impact
What students learn here at ESF doesn’t stay in the classroom. It changes the planet. In an industry focused on renewable materials and sustainability, students graduate ready to contribute from day one. Their work helps replace plastics, reduce waste, and create products we rely on. They design more sustainable ways of living to build a future that’s better for everyone. SPPF champions sustainability. We are passionate about pulp, paper, and allied industries because we truly believe in them.
Rooted in Support
Built to Connect
SPPF bridges the gap between education, industry, and opportunity through a deeply engaged community of volunteers, donors, alumni, and industry leaders. This network doesn’t just support students financially—it mentors them, guides them, and welcomes them into a profession built on innovation and sustainability. Together, we’re creating pathways that benefit everyone: students gain the education and connections they need to succeed, while employers gain access to talented, career-ready engineers.
Driven by Impact
What students learn here at ESF doesn’t stay in the classroom. It changes the planet. In an industry focused on renewable materials and sustainability, students graduate ready to contribute from day one. Their work helps replace plastics, reduce waste, and create products we rely on. They design more sustainable ways of living to build a future that’s better for everyone. SPPF champions sustainability. We are passionate about pulp, paper, and allied industries because we truly believe in them.
Students Gain:
100% job placement rate for graduates
$80,000+ average starting salary
$21,000 grant awarded upon graduation
Employers Gain:
Access to a pipeline of highly skilled, career-ready engineers
Opportunities to engage with and shape future talent
Innovative thinking to support sustainable progress in the industry
Our Story
SPPF was established by a group of industry professionals to support future leaders.
1911
The New York State College of Forestry was founded with Syracuse University in 1911 to address issues in the forestry industry. Students attended classes at Syracuse University until Bray Hall was finished in 1917 on the current ESF campus next to SU.
1920
The Paper Science & Engineering Department was created in 1920. In the late 1940s, two out of three of the first female graduates from the New York State College of Forestry graduated with degrees in Paper Engineering.
1960
In 1960, paper industry professionals formed SPPF to create a pathway for skilled young workers.
1967
The first endowed scholarship was contributed by the D.S. and R.H. Gottesman Foundation in 1967.
1972
In 1972, Ira D. Wallach, president of the Gottesman Foundation, offered to arrange a $10,000 endowed scholarship if at least four other companies would contribute similar amounts. Seven founders’ scholarships were established that year, officially creating the SPPF’s Endowed Scholarship Program.
2020
In 2020, the Paper Engineering program at SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry celebrated its 100th anniversary!
Today
The Paper Engineering major is now a part of the recently established Chemical Engineering Department at SUNY ESF.
SPPF provides full-tuition scholarships, grants, and paid internships that complement a top-tier education at SUNY ESF. Students graduate with 100% job placement—prepared to design smarter, more sustainable solutions with real-world impact.
