2026 ISTA Forum USA

Pre-Forum Training: ISTA CC 201 Introduction to BioPharma Cold Chain (additional fee)

Room: Laveen B

ISTA CC 201: Introduction to BioPharma Cold Chain Training

The Who, What, Why, Where of Cold Chain

  • Basics of a cold chain program
  • Attributes of a gold standard cold chain program
  • Guiding standards for the industry 
  • Introduction to the Shipping Qualification Process Flow 
  • Lessons learned on selecting test labs and suppliers (labs, packaging, recording devices, etc.)
Click here to view the full schedule and rates with and without Forum registration.
 

Led by expert ISTA Instructor, Carolyn Williamson, ISTA Pharma Committee Officer.

Pre-Forum Training: ISTA PDP Certification (additional fee)

Room: Laveen A

Get ISTA Packaging Dynamics Professional (ISTA PDP) Certified with this comprehensive in-person training. To receive ISTA’s Packaging Dynamics Professional (ISTA PDP) Certification, you must complete all six PDP courses and pass the corresponding exams. Take the ISTA PDP Certification exams conveniently online through ISTA’s learning platform—complete with full video presentations and course content to help you prepare and succeed. PDP courses included: 

  • PDP 101: Principles of Distribution Packaging
  • PDP 201:  Atmospheric & Compression Hazards in Transit
  • PDP 202:  Shock & Drop Hazards in Transit
  • PDP 203:  Vibration Hazards in Transit
  • PDP 204:  Test Laboratory Operations & Instrumentation
  • PDP 205:  Test Procedures & Enhanced Simulation Testing

Click here to view the full schedule and rates with and without Forum registration.

Led by expert ISTA Instructor Larry Dull, this in-person training is a convenient option to becoming a certified ISTA Packaging Dynamics Professional. 

ISTA Advocate Research & Value Delivery Program (closed meeting)

Room: Maryvale B
The ISTA Advocate Research & Value Delivery Program is a closed meeting for program participants only.

Pre-Forum Training: ISTA CC 301 URS to OQ (additional fee)

Room: Laveen B

User Requirement Specification to Operational Qualification Training 

The How of Cold Chain – Taking the fundamentals of the first class and putting it into practice 

  • How to create a robust URS  
    • Highlight both major and minor attributes of a URS 
  • How to design and implement your OQ process  
    • Highlight the design qualification tests 
    • Execution of an OQ protocol 
    • Documentation  
      • Test Protocols and Reports 
      • Temperature Recording Device Settings 
      • Operational SOP/WIs 
      • Staff training 
      • How to select and implement a pre-qualified shipper 
    • Navigating Change Control to Implement your Qualified System 
    • Lessons Learned on Implementing a Qualified Shipping System 
    • Case Studies 
Click here to view the full schedule and rates with and without Forum registration.

Led by expert ISTA Instructor, Carolyn Williamson, ISTA Pharma Committee Officer.


Attendee Check-In

Valley of the Sun Foyer
Stop by to check in, pick up your ISTA Forum USA session materials, and collect your name badge. Our team will be ready to welcome you and ensure you have everything you need.

ISTA Pharma Committee Meeting (closed meeting)

Room: Maryvale A
The ISTA Pharma Committee meeting is open only to committee members.

Forum Welcome Reception

Room: ISTA Forum Networking Hub | Valley of the Sun C
Join us at the ISTA Forum Networking Hub to kick off the event! Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks while catching up with friends old and new. It’s the perfect way to start the ISTA Forum, and we look forward to welcoming you! Please note: The reception is complimentary for attendees. Guest tickets are available for purchase when registering. Attendees and guests must be 18 years old.

ISTA Educational Foundation Fundraiser Dinner (additional fee)

Room: Carcara Citrus Grove Patio
Supporting the Next Wave of Packaging Industry Leaders! Join us for a fun evening at the ISTA Educational Foundation Dinner on Tuesday, April 7, from 6:00–8:00 PM at the Carcara Citrus Grove Patio within the Sheraton (immediately following the ISTA Forum Welcome Reception). Connect with peers, support student scholarships and research, and help empower the next generation of packaging leaders. 

Click here to learn more.

          

Attendee Check-In

Valley of the Sun Foyer
If you haven't already checked-in, stop by the registration desk to pick up your name badge and event materials.

Networking Breakfast

Room: ISTA Forum Networking Hub | Valley of the Sun C
Kick off your day with breakfast in the ISTA Forum Networking Hub—an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow attendees!

Wednesday Morning | Session 1

8:30am - Welcome & Meet Your Fellow Delegates

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractA.J. will open the TransPack sessions with key information to help you make the most of the event. This is also a great opportunity to meet and connect with fellow attendees as we kick things off together.

8:30am - Welcome & Meet Your Fellow Delegates

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • Bryan Cardis
    Bryan Cardis
    Senior Director, Customer Optimization
    Cold Chain Technologies
AbstractBryan will open the TempPack sessions with key information to help you make the most of the event. This is also a great opportunity to meet and connect with fellow attendees as we kick things off together.

9:00am - 2035 Global Packaging Thought-Leader Survey

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
Abstract

Unveiling the 2025-2035 Horizon – Insights from the PTIS Future of Packaging Global Thought Leader Survey

In an era of accelerating disruption, the 2025 edition of PTIS’s triennial Future of Packaging Global Thought Leader Survey captures the collective foresight of over 150 curated experts from academia, industry associations, and Fortune 500 leaders across the global packaging value chain. This presentation distills key findings projecting transformative trends from 2025 to 2035, spotlighting the dominance of circular economy principles, regulatory pressures, and recovery infrastructure as top forces reshaping packaging strategies.

Drawing on rigorous foresight methodologies, the survey reveals escalating priorities in sustainability—where reusable, refillable, and compostable solutions outpace traditional recycling—fueled by digital innovations like IoT-enabled packaging and AI-driven supply chains. Attendees will explore actionable implications for CPG, manufacturing, and retail sectors, including risk mitigation in volatile markets, consumer-driven demands for eco-transparency, and opportunities for Horizon 3 innovations that integrate packaging into a holistic, value-creating ecosystem.

Join us to gain strategic foresight that equips your organization to navigate complexity, foster resilience, and pioneer sustainable growth in the decade ahead.

8:45am - ISTA Pharma Committee Update: Advancing The Industry Through Collaboration

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractJoin the ISTA Pharma Committee Officers as they provide insights into the ongoing advancements of the Pharma Committee, offer an overview of the recently developed guidance documents, and outline the committee's upcoming initiatives. The ISTA Pharma Committee is an Ad Hoc Technical Committee comprised of individuals from both supplier partners and Life science end-user organizations involved in the supply chain for temperature-sensitive products. The committee’s goal is to develop and publish peer reviewed technical guidance that addresses relevant needs of the industry as well as provide a forum for industry members to collaborate and share best practices.

9:30am - Agentic AI and the Future of Productivity in Packaging and Distribution

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
  • William Green
    William Green
    DE & CTO IBM Supply Chain Engineering
    IBM Corporation
Abstract

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant frontier—it’s a daily partner in how we work, innovate, and solve complex challenges. In this session, Bill Green will introduce you to the evolving landscape of AI, with a focus on the transformative potential of Agentic AI—a new paradigm where intelligent agents autonomously plan, execute, and adapt workflows across enterprise environments.

Drawing from IBM’s latest developments in watsonx.ai, Bill will explore how Agentic AI is reshaping digital labor, enabling packaging and logistics professionals to automate repetitive tasks, orchestrate complex decision-making, and accelerate sustainability goals. Attendees will gain insights into:

  • The foundational building blocks of enterprise AI: data, models, agents, governance, and assistants.
  • How Agentic AI differs from traditional automation and chatbots, offering contextual awareness, dynamic skill sequencing, and intelligent orchestration.
  • Real-world use cases in supply chain
  • The role of secure models in powering safe, performant, and transparent AI solutions tailored for enterprise needs.

Whether you're just beginning your AI journey or looking to scale intelligent automation across your operations, this session will provide a practical roadmap for integrating AI into your value chain.

9:15am - Whitepaper Updates: Sustainability in Temperature Controlled Packaging and Shipping Frozen Pharmaceuticals

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractGuided by insights from recent industry surveys, the ISTA Pharma Committee has identified these topics as priorities for new industry guidance. This session provides an overview and progress update on two in-development ISTA Pharma Committee whitepapers: Introduction to Sustainability in Temperature-Controlled Packaging and Considerations for Shipping Frozen Pharmaceuticals. Hear directly from the whitepaper leads as they share the scope, objectives, and key focus areas of each document, offering attendees early insight into the guidance being developed.

ISTA PCW-04 | Introduction to Sustainability in Temperature-Controlled Packaging Whitepaper
Presenters:
  • Eduardo Molina, ISTA Pharma Committee Member, Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design, Virginia Tech
  • Alison Crawley, ISTA Pharma Committee Member,ThermoSafe
ISTA PCW-05 | Considerations for Shipping Frozen Pharmaceuticals Whitepaper
Presenter:
  • Carolyn Williamson, ISTA Pharma Committee Vice Chair, Parenteral Supply Chain, LLC 

Networking Break

Room: ISTA Forum Networking Hub | Valley of the Sun C
Join us in the ISTA Forum Networking Hub for a chance to meet up with fellow attendees and to meet the Forum Sponsors.  Beverages included.

Wednesday Morning | Session 2

10:30am - Characterizing the Cushioning Performance and Environmental Impact of Void Fill Packaging for E-Commerce Distributions

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractAchieving sustainability in protective packaging requires balancing product protection with material efficiency. In e-commerce, where parcel shipments are frequent, lightweight, and handled across multiple stages, packaging must withstand complex combinations of vibration and shock hazards while minimizing environmental impact. Over the past three decades, extensive research has focused on cushioning systems such as expanded polystyrene (EPS), evaluating their cushion curves, shock attenuation, compression strength, environmental durability, and biodegradation performance 1–9 . Sustainable alternatives have also emerged,including starch-based foams, molded pulp, and celium-based packaging, which demonstrate promising impact absorption and compressive strength comparable to EPS. However, these systems are typically custom-engineered to fit a specific product geometry, making them well-suited for standardized industrial goods but less adaptable for the diverse, irregularly shaped items shipped through e-commerce channels. In contrast, void fills offer universal applicability, they conform to varying product sizes and shapes, filling empty spaces within parcels to provide cushioning without requiring customized molds or tooling. Despite their widespread use, void fills remain one of the least characterized components of protective packaging, with limited empirical data on their cushioning efficiency, vibration damping behavior, and life cycle environmental performance. This study addresses that gap through combining laboratory testing under standardized ISTA procedures with a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) conducted in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.

10:30am - How To Set Up a Phase Appropriate Biotech Logistics Process Which is Viable, Reliable, and Robust

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
Abstract

Early‑stage biotechnology companies face unique and rapidly evolving supply chain challenges as they progress from R&D into clinical development and, eventually, commercialization. Each phase carries distinct constraints on speed, cost, quality, and risk tolerance, requiring logistics processes that are not only technically sound but also appropriately scaled to the organization’s maturity. This presentation outlines a practical framework for designing and operationalizing a phase‑appropriate logistics model that can adapt as pipeline complexity, geographic reach, and regulatory expectations expand.

Drawing on more than 35+ years of combined experience supporting biologics, oncology therapies, cell and gene modalities, and global clinical programs, the speakers break down what “fit‑for‑phase” truly means. Topics include defining the right scope of logistics responsibilities, aligning cross‑functional stakeholders, managing increasing cold‑chain and dangerous goods requirements, and avoiding the common illusion that shipments alone represent the full extent of supply chain operations. The session further explores the progression from manual tools to integrated supply chain systems, emphasizing how early data capture and thoughtful vendor partnership strategies lay the foundation for future scalability.

Attendees will learn how to balance executional speed with procedural rigor and what steps are essential during key clinical phase transitions. The presentation concludes with actionable guidance for building resilient, right‑sized processes that remain flexible, cost‑conscious, and capable of supporting both early‑phase uncertainty and long‑term commercial readiness.

11:00am - From Oversimplified to Optimized: Setting New Benchmarks in Medical Package Testing

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
  • Sam Upadhyaya
    Sam Upadhyaya
    VP Engineering, Advance Technology
    Edwards Lifesciences
AbstractEnsuring the integrity and sterility of medical product packaging is a critical requirement for patient safety and regulatory compliance. This study presents an advanced framework for medical package testing designed to meet and exceed the quality and compliance requirements of recognized standards encompassing ISO 11607, ISTA 2A, 3A and ASTM D4169. While complex distribution simulation and validation protocols often receive significant attention, package drop testing—one of the critical subsets of distribution simulation testing—has historically been overlooked, oversimplified, and treated as a routine task. This work reinvigorates its role by applying precision technology and automation to elevate its scientific rigor and relevance. The methodology integrates high-precision instrumentation, automated test systems, and machine vision technologies to deliver quantitative, reproducible assessments of drop impacts.  Emphasis is placed on validated, statistically robust protocols supported by real-time data acquisition and traceability systems to ensure compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and risk-based quality management principles. The integration of collaborative robotics and closed-loop control systems minimizes operator variability, enhances throughput, and ensures consistent distribution simulation conditioning during testing. By embracing automation with purpose, this approach does more than replace legacy tools—it reshapes the landscape of packaging science and establishes new industry benchmarks, with Edwards Lifesciences leading the way. Results demonstrate significant improvements in measurement accuracy, process efficiency, and reliability compared to conventional manual methods. This presentation underscores the role of advanced automation and digitalization in establishing a scalable, compliant, and future-ready paradigm for medical package verification testing.
 

11:00am - Case Study | Customer-Informed Design: Improving Sustainability, Experience, and Cost

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • Linnette Lopez
    Linnette Lopez
    Vice President, Single Use & Sustainable Solutions
    Cold Chain Technologies
  • Arminda Montero
    Arminda Montero
    Program Manager, Global Supply Chain QA Operations
    AbbVie
AbstractLife science supply chains are under increasing pressure to reduce environmental impact without compromising product integrity or user experience (both the shipper and the recipient experience). This presentation explores how customer-informed design can unlock step-change improvements in curbside recyclable thermal packaging. By integrating direct feedback from clinical sites and distribution partners into the design process, we identify critical pain points—ranging from pack-out complexity and disposal challenges to hidden cost drivers.

We will demonstrate how translating these insights into engineering requirements enables the development of patent pending right-sized, curbside recyclable solutions that deliver validated thermal performance while simplifying pack-out, improving unboxing, and reducing total landed cost.  Real-world case studies highlight measurable gains in sustainability (recyclability and carbon reduction), operational efficiency (labor and cube optimization), and end-user satisfaction.

Attendees will leave with a practical framework for embedding the voice of the customer into thermal packaging innovation—turning sustainability from a constraint into a competitive advantage.
 

11:30am - Statistical Characterisation of Road-Transport Vibrations for Packaging Test Design

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractProtective packaging is often specified conservatively because laboratory vibration tests rely on stationary, route-independent profiles that can exaggerate exposure relative to contemporary European road transport. To reduce this gap, short-time variability of road-transport vibrations was quantified from multi-axis field measurements across ten European distribution routes. Moving-RMS series were summarised as histogram-based probability density functions and fitted with three candidate distributions: three-parameter Weibull, offset Rayleigh and log-normal. Fit quality was assessed using R², mean-squared error and χ², producing route-specific severity metrics that guide the selection of packaging test levels. Across routes, one distribution consistently captured moving-RMS variability with few parameters, another excelled when tail probability was dominated by rare high-severity intervals, and a third was adequate only for narrow, near-symmetric low-severity regimes.

The fitted amplitude distributions were combined with measured PSDs to generate route-specific, non-stationary profiles that preserve spectral content and reproduce the observed short-time modulation. These models enable estimation of exceedance probabilities and route-specific severity thresholds to support risk-informed selection of vibration test levels and cushioning, with straightforward alignment to established laboratory procedures and test protocols. The outcome is more realistic laboratory excitation, improved correspondence between laboratory and field performance, and a defensible basis to avoid both unnecessary over-packaging and under-packaging without compromising product protection. Potential applications include automated analytics and reporting, route-aware test selection, predictive risk modelling, and rationalisation of protective-material variants.
 

11:45am - Industry Poll on Trending Topics

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • Bryan Cardis
    Bryan Cardis
    Senior Director, Customer Optimization
    Cold Chain Technologies
AbstractJoin an interactive session where your real-time input will shape the future priorities of the ISTA Pharma Committee, helping determine the next workgroup topics based on what matters most to the industry today.

Networking Lunch

Enjoy a relaxed lunch in the ISTA Forum Networking Hub—the perfect spot to recharge, share ideas, and spark new connections with fellow attendees.

Women in ISTA Networking Lunch

Connect with like-minded women in the packaging industry. Keep an eye out for the specially reserved tables during lunch – it's the perfect opportunity to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the achievements of women in packaging.

Wednesday Afternoon | Session 3

1:30pm - Networking Trivia!

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractGet ready for some fun networking trivia! Who doesn't love a little friendly competition!

1:30pm - Networking Trivia!

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • Bryan Cardis
    Bryan Cardis
    Senior Director, Customer Optimization
    Cold Chain Technologies
AbstractGet ready for some fun networking trivia! Who doesn't love a little friendly competition!

2:00pm - Development and Evaluation of a Simplified Multi-Axis Vibration Test Apparatus

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractThe ISTA Educational Foundation selected undergraduate research proposals focused on minimizing product damage throughout distribution and optimizing resource usage through effective package design. RIT students Ian, Luke, Derek, and Joe will provide an update on their research and findings related to the following proposal:

This project aims to develop a simplified, cost-effective 2-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) vibration test apparatus that induces rotational motion while mounted on a standard vertical-only Lansmont vibration table. The system will use a pivot-spine structure with elastomeric or spring components of varying stiffness (k) to enable off-vertical axis movement. The research will assess the apparatus’s ability to simulate transport-induced motions using both field and lab evaluations.

2:00pm - Qualification Process for Temperature-Controlled Trailers Under Extreme Freezing Conditions

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • Mirta Reyes
    Mirta Reyes
    Project Manager,Temperature Control Support Center
    Johnson & Johnson
AbstractThis study qualified a 40-ft Freezer Container for ultra-low temperature pharmaceutical transport through Operational Qualification (OQ) and Performance Qualification (PQ) phases. The container, equipped with a redundant NMF-372-02 refrigeration system, was evaluated for its ability to maintain a set point of −45°C within an operational range of −55°C to −35°C.

OQ testing included thermal mapping under empty and full-load configurations, compressor switchover, genset transition, open-door recovery, and power failure scenarios. Results confirmed stable temperature control during normal operations, with rapid recovery after stress events. Simulated product sensors remained within range throughout, ensuring no impact on product integrity.

PQ testing involved four live shipments between Ireland and Netherlands. All interior and product-simulating sensors maintained temperatures within specification during transit. Excursions occurred only during door openings for unloading and inspection, not during shipment. Visual inspection of 300 bottles confirmed zero defects. A single deviation related to sensor ice accumulation did not affect product temperatures. Procedural updates were recommended to minimize door-open times.

Conclusion: Combined OQ and PQ results demonstrate that the Freezer Container reliably maintains ultra-low temperatures under controlled and real-world conditions, supporting its qualification for pharmaceutical distribution requiring stringent temperature control.

2:20pm - Enhancing Sentiment Analysis and Deep Learning for Packaging Damage Detection in Distribution

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractThe ISTA Educational Foundation selected undergraduate research proposals focused on minimizing product damage throughout distribution and optimizing resource usage through effective package design. MSU student Jordan will provide an update on her research and findings related to the following proposal:

This project seeks to bridge the gap between consumer insights and packaging innovation. The enhanced  AI  framework  will  provide  more  precise  identification  of  packaging  failure  points  related  to distribution,  a  deeper  understanding  of  consumer  interactions  with  packaging,  a  refined  sentiment analysis  model  capable  of  detecting  nuanced  consumer  emotions,  and  a  scalable  AI  approach  that integrates text and image-based data for a holistic evaluation of packaging performance.  The project builds upon the 2024 Forum presentation but introduces significant advancements. While the earlier work focused primarily on sentiment analysis of Amazon reviews to highlight packaging issues, this new phase incorporates deep learning for image-based damage detection and emotion-aware sentiment analysis. These enhancements will allow for a more robust, multi-dimensional evaluation of packaging performance during distribution, using both text and image data from consumer feedback. 

2:30pm - Developing and Evaluating Ambient Temperature Profiles Using Real-World Shipping Lane Data

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractReliable Ambient Temperature Profiles (ATPs) are critical for qualifying cold chain packaging systems under realistic conditions. In this study, we developed multiple ATPs using temperature data collected from nine distinct shipping lanes representing diverse geographic and seasonal variability. Following ISTA PCG-04 Best Practice Guidelines, profiles were constructed using statistical approaches such as the empirical rule and area-under-the-curve (AUC) methodology. These newly derived ATPs were benchmarked against industry standards and existing UPS ATPs to assess alignment and identify potential gaps. Comparative analysis highlights whether current ATPs require updates and demonstrates how data-driven ATP development can enhance confidence in packaging qualification, reduce risk of temperature excursions, and improve regulatory compliance. This work underscores the importance of leveraging real-world lane data to refine qualification protocols and optimize thermal packaging performance.
 

2:40pm - Evaluating Sustainable Materials for Transport of Live Ornamental Fish in Insulated Shipping Containers

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractThe ISTA Educational Foundation selected undergraduate research proposals focused on minimizing product damage throughout distribution and optimizing resource usage through effective package design. University of Florida students Payton and Gloria will provide an update on their research and findings related to the following proposal:

This project addresses the need to identify potential sustainable alternatives to expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) insulated containers used for shipping live ornamental fish. Florida’s ornamental aquaculture industry, the largest in the nation with $172 million in sales in 2021, relies heavily on EPS for its insulation and structural stability. However, increasing legislative restrictions on EPS due to environmental concerns, coupled with fluctuating availability and rising costs, could pose a significant challenge to ornamental fish producers. This project evaluates the performance of alternative packaging materials using mechanical and thermal tests. This introductory project aims to generate key results to help the long-term resilience of Florida’s ornamental aquaculture industry in an evolving regulatory landscape.

Networking Afternoon Break

Room: ISTA Forum Networking Hub | Valley of the Sun C
Join us in the ISTA Forum Networking Hub for a chance to meet up with fellow attendees and to meet the Forum Sponsors.  Beverages and Snacks included.

Wednesday Afternoon | Session 4

3:30pm - Full Warehouse Automation at Walmart: Transforming Packaging for an Automated Future

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
Abstract

Walmart’s scale and omnichannel strategy demand a supply chain that is faster, smarter, and more resilient. To meet these expectations, Walmart is deploying automation across its next-generation distribution centers, leveraging advanced systems from Symbotic, Knapp, Witron, and proprietary Walmart Automation technologies. These facilities integrate robotics, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), and AI-driven orchestration to handle millions of cases with unprecedented precision and throughput.

This presentation will explore how automation—from receiving and storage to picking, palletizing, and outbound—reshapes packaging requirements and industry standards. Automation introduces new dynamics that packaging engineers must address: tighter dimensional tolerances for robotic gripping, reinforced corrugate strength for high-speed conveyance, and standardized labeling for machine vision systems. Packaging that once accommodated manual handling must now withstand automated sequencing, and rapid sortation without compromising product integrity.

Key discussion points include:
• Automation Architecture: How Walmart’s automated ecosystem creates a seamless, high-throughput environment that reduces dwell time and labor dependency.
• Packaging Implications: Why automation demands precise carton dimensions, consistent case weights, and ISTA protocol updates to mitigate risks such as robotic clamp pressure and automated drop hazards.
• Industry Ripple Effect: The cascading impact on suppliers, testing laboratories, and packaging material innovation as automation becomes foundational to retail logistics.

Attendees will gain insight into Walmart’s automation roadmap and collaborative opportunities to develop packaging solutions that thrive in an automated supply chain. By aligning packaging design with automation capabilities, the industry can unlock efficiencies that benefit retailers, manufacturers, and consumers alike.
 

3:30pm - The Impact of Refrigerant Geometry and Combination on the Thermal Performance of ISCs

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractThe size and configuration of refrigerants play a critical role in determining the thermal performance of insulated thermal shippers (ISCs). While total refrigerant mass (ice packs, PCMs, etc.) defines the ISC’s potential to absorb or release thermal energy based on the environment temperature, the surface area-to-volume ratio influences the rate of heat transfer and its phase change. Because of differences in total exposed surface area, a combination of smaller ice packs may melt more rapidly and deliver faster initial cool in but may also lead to shorter temperature hold times than a single large refrigerant pack with the same total mass. 

The presence of air gaps, variable placement, and uneven surface contact alters heat transfer pathways and can result in non-uniform temperature distribution within the packaging system. Therefore, optimizing cold-chain performance requires consideration not only the total refrigerant mass but also pack size, geometry, and spatial distribution inside the container. The results of thermal experiments studying these factors will be presented. 

4:00pm - Live Benchmarking: Packaging Insights

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractJoin us for an interactive benchmarking session featuring live polling to gain real-time insights into best practices, sustainability strategies, damage rates, emerging trends, and the role of technology in optimizing packaging solutions. Compare your approach with industry peers and discover ways to drive smarter, more sustainable packaging decisions.

4:00pm - End User Panel: Manufacturer to Patient | Navigating the Next Era of Temperature-Sensitive Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • To Be Announced Soon
AbstractAs temperature-sensitive therapies, biologics, and specialty drugs continue to reshape the pharmaceutical landscape, the journey from manufacturer to patient has never been more complex—or more critical. This expert panel brings together leaders from manufacturing, distribution, and specialty pharmacy to examine today’s biggest cold-chain challenges and the operational, technological, and risk-management shifts that will define the next era of pharmaceutical supply chains.
 

Forum Sponsor Exhibition Reception

Room: ISTA Forum Networking Hub | Valley of the Sun C
Relax and enjoy hors d'oeuvres and drinks as you network and learn about the Forum Sponsors products, services, and innovative solutions. This reception is always a great time and even includes a chance to win a raffle prize!  Please note: The reception is complimentary for attendees. Guest tickets are available for purchase when registering. Attendees and guests must be 18 years old.

            

Networking Breakfast

Room: ISTA Forum Networking Hub | Valley of the Sun C
Kick off your day with breakfast in the ISTA Forum Networking Hub—an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow attendees!

Thursday Morning | Session 5

8:30am - Amazon Packaging: ISTA Testing as the Foundation of Customer Promise

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
  • Paul Larson
    Paul Larson
    Sr. Program Manager, AMXL Packaging Strategy
    Amazon
AbstractThis presentation explores how Amazon uses ISTA—the global gold standard for packaging testing—as a foundation for delivering exceptional customer experiences in e-commerce packaging. Over fifteen years, the evolution from initial innovations to today's global standards demonstrates how scientific testing protocols enable Amazon to make and keep promises to customers. The journey encompasses frustration-free packaging, products shipping in original containers, and specialized approaches for premium heavy and bulky items. Standardized ISTA testing protocols create a reinforcing cycle: protecting products, reducing waste, building customer confidence, and driving industry-wide improvements. Effective packaging success is measured not merely by protection, but by the confidence to promise customers their products will arrive exactly as expected, every single time.

8:30am - Pharma Industry Update

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractPulling together subject matter experts to design and publish guidance, these work groups focus on best demonstrated practices, regulatory requirement, and other significant industry guidelines and publications. This holistic global view ensures the best guidance from ISTA Pharma for ISTA members, and everyone involved in the pharmaceutical supply chain responsible for safe and effective delivery of pharmaceuticals to healthcare providers and patients.
 
This session will focus on recent activities/updates from:
  • Pharma Growth update
  • US Pharmacopeia (USP) Packaging and Distribution Expert Committee,  
  •  Parenteral Drug Association (PDA),
  •  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC),
  •  International Organization for Standardization (ISO),
  • International Air Transport Association (IATA),
  • BioPhorum Operations Group (BPOG),
  • Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA).
 
 

9:00am - Draft Test Blocks for Drop Testing from Field Data: Profile Generation and Verification

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractThe aim of transport testing in the laboratory is to help design and evaluate the packaging. For this, the test protocol has to be representative of conditions encountered during transport and be able to reproduce the damages. This study will present the results of the analyses of field data of drop/shock collected from decoy packages transported in USA and China.
 
The aim of the study has been threefold: (a) review of the existing reduction techniques for converting shock/drop data into laboratory test protocols, (b) propose a suitable workflow for translating field data into laboratory test protocols, (c) verify the proposed new test protocols against existing protocols and where possible against the field data.
 
To this end, we first evaluate the field data based on the existing ISTA data analysis guidelines (based on Sheehan’s method). We conclude that this results in rather harsh test profiles that is not representative of real world conditions. We propose modifications and generate profiles which could better represent the field data. These profiles are then verified in the laboratory setting using decoy packaging similar to the ones used during field data collection. This is done partly by comparing the damage incurred by the packages when tested with the generated profiles (including ISTA 3A), and partly by comparing the damage observed in the laboratory to that in the field. The damage evaluation utilises RISE damage coefficient method that provides a somewhat objective means of comparing the damage incurred during testing of the different profiles.

9:00am - Pharma Waste and How Our Digital Strategy Can Support a Reduction

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractThis presentation examines how pharmaceutical logistics can simultaneously reduce waste, emissions, and cost while safeguarding access to innovative therapies. It situates cold chain challenges within broader mega-trends such as climate change, demographic shifts, new therapy modalities, and increasing healthcare budget pressure, and uses the scale of global product and packaging waste to frame sustainability as a core affordability issue. The case study describes how a digital, end-to-end logistics program, integrating internal and external data for real-time visibility, alerts, and interventions, can significantly reduce avoidable waste across international, domestic, and last-meter flows. The talk further outlines complementary enablers, including optimized transport mode selection with CO2 lane comparison, advanced thermal protection systems that support reuse and recycling, and product-level technologies such as smart labels, serialization, and product density metrics. Together, these elements are presented as a practical roadmap to drive behavior change, strengthen supply chain resilience, and deliver measurable improvements in cold chain sustainability.

9:30am - The Ocean Container Journey

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
Abstract

Containerized cargo losses at sea often originate well before a vessel departs—driven by preventable breakdowns in documentation, packing/stuffing, weight verification, stowage planning, and securement. This session follows the end-to-end container transit lifecycle (pre-transit, transit, post-transit) to help shippers, forwarders, carriers, terminals, and insurers identify where risk is introduced and how it can be controlled. Attendees will review the principal onboard loss drivers across four categories: physical damage (e.g., misdeclared weights, improper lashing, vessel motion, poor stowage decisions), environmental exposure (saltwater, condensation, humidity, temperature extremes, contamination, loss overboard), fire (misdeclared/undeclared dangerous goods, lithium-ion battery events, containment challenges), and theft/security (port/terminal theft, inland/drayage theft, seal tampering, and cyber intrusion).

9:30am - From Home to Lab: Shipping Diagnostic Specimens Through the Transport Environment

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractDiagnostic testing is moving into the home. Driven by post-pandemic consumer expectations, evolving commercial and reimbursement frameworks, and the reality that greater access drives improved outcomes, home-collected specimens like fingerstick blood or a urine sample represent a growing segment of the clinical laboratory market. In this model, a patient receives a collection kit, collects their specimen at home, and ships it to a centralized laboratory. This is particularly impactful for conditions like HIV, STIs, diabetes, and kidney disease, where stigma or inconvenience depress screening rates.

For the packaging community, this trend introduces a new application: shipping a perishable, biologically active payload, packaged by the patient rather than a trained operator, through ambient courier networks. Diagnostic specimens are inherently dynamic—temperature excursions during transit can drive analyte degradation, intracellular-extracellular exchange, hemolysis, and other issues, all compromising the fidelity of the laboratory result to the patient's true physiological state at the time of collection.

The diagnostics field has responded with a range of strategies: dried specimen formats that are inherently more temperature-resistant, engineered shippers with phase-change materials or battery-powered temperature control, and laboratory approaches that account for ambient transport and address specimen changes analytically post-hoc. Each carries tradeoffs in cost, analyte menu, and diagnostic performance. This talk examines how to characterize the thermal profiles specimens actually experience, map those profiles to analyte stability endpoints, and derive design criteria—motivating the use of ISTA thermal conditioning profiles for validating home-collection diagnostics end-to-end.

Networking Break

Room: ISTA Forum Networking Hub | Valley of the Sun C
Join us in the Networking Hub for a chance to meet up with fellow attendees and to meet the Forum Sponsors.  Beverages included.

Thursday Morning | Session 6

10:30am - Google's Open Source Random Vibration Test of Off-the-Shelf Data Center Hardware Project

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
  • Ken Leung
    Ken Leung
    Senior Mechanical Engineer
    Google Inc.
Abstract

The rise of AI has brought significant complexity and miniaturization to data center hardware. Components in servers and switches are now smaller, denser, and structurally more intricate. As cloud services and AI become central to everyday life, hardware failures due to shock and vibration can have real-world consequences.

AI is also expanding into fields like edge computing, autonomous vehicles, and robotics. Hardware designed for data centers may soon power these technologies, making shock and vibration testing critical to their long-term reliability.

For more than 7 years, Google Cloud has been investigating real world random vibration conditions, trying to come up with the most accurate random vibration profiles for shock and vibration testing of Google's data center hardware, and the best way to understand their failure modes.  This work was released as a part of Google's Open Source Random Vibration Test of Off-the-Shelf Data Center Hardware project, which includes:

  • Google's world wide field data measurement, analysis, and lab replication methods

  • State of the art 3D strain, motion, deformation, and pressure measurement techniques for data center hardware

  • High-speed microscopic motion analysis of critical microelectronics components

  • Margins and fatigue analysis in the context of global transport and handling

This project was launched at the 2024 OCP Global Summit, and shared through the project's GitHub repository. The project aims to encourage future collaboration and make random vibration testing universally accessible and useful to the broader community.

10:30am - Empowering the Next Generation: ISTA Pharma Committee's Educational Outreach

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractThe ISTA Pharma Committee is committed to advancing education within the Life Sciences industry by building bridges between academic institutions and professional sectors. Recognizing the growing importance of temperature-sensitive logistics in pharmaceutical development and distribution, the Committee is launching initiatives designed to spark interest, foster knowledge-sharing, and establish clear career pathways for students and emerging professionals.

Through strategic partnerships, targeted educational outreach, and industry-focused programs, the ISTA Pharma Committee aims to raise awareness, generate excitement, and support the next generation of talent for Cold Chain professions within the Life Sciences industry. These efforts are essential to meeting the growing demand for skilled professionals in this critical area of pharmaceutical logistics.

11:00am - The Convergence of Sustainability Targets and Regulations: How Packaging Must Evolve

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
  • James Raw
    James Raw
    Director of Packaging Testing Operations
    Smithers
AbstractVarious regions around the world and individual states are implementing new guidance and regulations around packaging sustainability. Drawing from the perspectives of retailers, brand owners, and packaging companies, this presentation will explore several key regulations, such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations, and post-consumer recycled (PCR) content initiatives. The discussion will also review how these changes are affecting the supply chain and testing requirements for a wide variety of packaging applications.
 

11:00am - Improving Thermal Stability of Commodity Plastics For Pharmaceutical Packaging To Mitigate Heat-Induced Degradation

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractBackground
Heat-induced degradation of polymeric packaging materials can lead to the formation of leachable, posing risks to the safety and stability of packaged products. This study aims to mitigate thermal degradation by incorporating suitable additives into common packaging polymers used in the pharmaceutical industry: HDPE, LDPE, and PP. The additives were selected to modify the polymers’ melting and degradation, thereby reducing leaching potential during product processing and storage.
Methods
DSC was used to evaluate thermal transitions specifically the onset, peak melting temperatures, and enthalpy of fusion to assess the influence of additives on the polymers' crystallinity and stability. TGA will subsequently be conducted under oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres to examine the thermal stability and decomposition of the modified materials.
Results
Preliminary DSC results revealed enhanced thermal properties across all modified polymers. Modified HDPE exhibited onset temperatures of 125-128 °C and peak melting temperatures of 138-139 °C, with enthalpy values of 195-215 J/g, indicating improved crystalline stability. LDPE with additives samples displayed onset around 115-116 °C and peak melting between 120-125 °C, with enthalpy ranging from 105-125 J/g. PP and its additive-modified forms exhibited higher onset (140-152 °C) and peak melting temperatures (160-165°C), indicating greater structural order and heat resistance.
Discussion
These results demonstrate that additive incorporation effectively enhances polymer thermal resilience, suggesting a viable strategy for mitigating heat-induced extractables formation. Ongoing TGA analysis will provide complementary insight into the materials’ degradation and oxidative stability.

 

11:30am - Latest Updates on ISTA Digital and Education

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractExplore the latest enhancements to ISTA’s digital cloud platform, including improved distribution mapping and the launch of ISTA Connect—a new collaboration tool for real-time project sharing. Matt will also share updates on ISTA’s expanded education programs, including PDP certification, Cold Chain Packaging (CC 101), and new Test Procedure Training courses. A schedule of upcoming live virtual training events will also be shared.

11:40am - Building Transit Hazard Knowledge Through Research

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractResearch remains at the forefront of ISTA’s efforts to continue delivering current, and relevant tools the packaging industry can use to design effective packaged-product systems for transit.

Updates will be provided on ISTA’s research to establish a standard methodology to generate draft test blocks for shock and vibration from field data, as well as research conducted through the ISTA Advocate Research & Value Delivery Program and ISTA-funded research grants. 
 
Gain insights on all the new resources ISTA is developing that will help you and your company design effective packaging that minimizes product damage and optimizes resource usage.

11:50am - Advancing ISTA Standards: Protocol Updates and Emerging Test Innovations

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
  • Eric Hiser
    Eric Hiser
    Vice President of Standards & Certification
    ISTA
AbstractDiscover the latest developments shaping ISTA’s testing landscape. This session will cover significant protocol updates, including a revised 3E compression formula, enhanced flexibility for executing 3H, and improvements to retailer-specific tests such as 6-Sam’s, 6-Amazon.com-Over Boxing, and 6-Amazon.com-SIOC. We’ll also introduce new test initiatives designed to meet global distribution challenges—covering inbound e-fulfillment, regional protocols for Europe and India, and advanced approaches for window & appliance shipments. Gain insights into how these changes and innovations will help your organization design resilient, efficient packaging solutions for today’s dynamic distribution environments.

11:30am - Cold Chain Visibility as a Strategic Asset: From Control Towers to Confident Release Decisions

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • Jeff Lander
    Jeff Lander
    Director, Global Logistics Engineering
    Moderna
AbstractAs pharmaceutical supply chains become more global and temperature-sensitive, visibility is no longer optional.. it is foundational. This presentation provides a practical introduction to getting started with end-to-end supply chain visibility for cold chain logistics. Attendees will learn how a global logistics control tower serves as the backbone for real-time shipment monitoring, exception management, and data-driven decision making. The session will also cover how temperature release strategies can be enabled through integrated data, risk assessment, and quality alignment, reducing delays and product loss.  Designed for pharmaceutical companies at any stage of maturity, this presentation offers a clear roadmap from foundational visibility to operational excellence in cold chain logistics.
 

Networking Lunch

Enjoy a relaxed lunch in the ISTA Forum Networking Hub—the perfect spot to recharge, share ideas, and spark new connections with fellow attendees.

Thursday Afternoon | Session 7

1:30pm - ISTA Educational Foundation Awards Presentation

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractWe’re proud to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the transport packaging industry. Three prestigious awards will recognize achievements that inspire and educate others, driving progress and improving our world through transport packaging.
  • R. David Lebutt Award
  • Emerging Leader Award
  • Outstanding Student Award

1:30pm - Thermal Modeling of Cold-Chain Systems: Accelerating Design and Reducing Testing Burden

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractMaintaining thermal stability during global cold-chain distribution is essential to ensure the safety and performance of temperature-sensitive medical devices. In this study, a combined experimental–computational approach was developed to evaluate and optimize packaging systems for extreme environmental conditions. Transient heat transfer models were established to represent palletized configurations and validated against chamber studies performed under cold, hot, and UV exposure. Model predictions showed strong agreement with experimental measurements (>95%), confirming the reliability of the computational framework.

Historical temperature profiles from diverse shipping lanes were incorporated into the simulations, enabling virtual testing of more than 20 pallet configurations under realistic transport conditions. This digital approach allowed benchmarking of insulation strategies and facilitated rapid design iterations without reliance on extensive physical testing. The optimized solution, involving the use of thermal covers and refined distribution routes, has already yielded substantial cost savings and is projected to deliver more annually.

This work highlights how computational modeling can accelerate decision-making, reduce experimental burden, and provide confidence in product performance across extreme global shipping scenarios. The established workflow serves as a scalable platform for future cold-chain initiatives and demonstrates the broader potential of digital modeling in advancing sustainable and cost-effective packaging solutions.
 

2:00pm - When Reuse Becomes Sustainable: Finding the Environmental Breakeven Point in Produce Distribution Packaging

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractAs the packaging industry moves toward more circular systems, companies face a key question: When does reusable packaging actually become more sustainable than single-use alternatives? This study addresses that question by identifying the environmental breakeven point for reusable plastic containers (RPCs) compared to single-use corrugated packaging used in fresh produce distribution.

Using life cycle assessment (LCA) tools aligned with ISO 14040 standards and the EcoImpact-COMPASS platform, the research evaluates packaging systems across their entire lifespan, from raw material production and manufacturing to transport, washing, return logistics and end-of-life. The analysis captures multiple impact categories, including energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and material resource demand.
The results reveal that the environmental performance of reusable systems depends heavily on operational factors such as the number of reuse cycles, return logistics efficiency, washing energy, and regional recycling infrastructure. By identifying where and when RPCs reach their breakeven point, the study provides a practical decision framework for companies considering reusable packaging programs.

These findings help stakeholders make informed, data-driven choices that balance sustainability goals with cost and supply chain efficiency ensuring that reusable systems deliver measurable environmental benefits without adding unnecessary complexity or burden.

2:00pm - Live Industry Polling and Interactive Discussion

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractBuilding on the highest-voted trending topics, this interactive session dives deeper using live polling and small-group discussions to refine key challenges, uncover practical insights, and shape the focus of upcoming ISTA Pharma workgroups.  Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with industry peers, asking pertinent questions and sharing perspectives in real time.

2:50pm - The Bernard McGarvey Award Presentation

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • Bryan Cardis
    Bryan Cardis
    Senior Director, Customer Optimization
    Cold Chain Technologies
AbstractThe Bernard McGarvey Award will be presented to honor the legacy of the late Bernard McGarvey. The award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions in educating those involved in the supply chain for temperature-sensitive pharma and life-science products, on minimizing transit damage and optimizing resources through effective package design.

2:30pm - Improving Unit Load Stability with Acceleration Sled Testing: A Case Study

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractShipping products without damage in the less-than-truckload (LTL) environment can be challenging. This is especially true when shipping tall, unstable products unitized only by stretch film and a pallet. When a large manufacturer contacted ABF’s Packaging department looking to upgrade their flatbed freight to suit LTL shipping, a plan was made to meet at Virginia Tech’s Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design and test using their new pallet acceleration sled. This case study shares the testing used to validate in-transit unit load stability, improvements that were made to the packaging, as well as the capabilities and limitations of the test equipment.

Networking Break

Room: ISTA Forum Networking Hub | Valley of the Sun C
Join us in the ISTA Forum Networking Hub for a chance to meet up with fellow attendees and to meet the Forum Sponsors.  Beverages and snacks included.

Thursday Afternoon | Session 8

3:30pm - Field Vibration Data to Accelerated Test Profile Framework

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
  • Changfeng Ge
    Changfeng Ge
    Director, APC center for Packaging Innovation
    RIT - Packaging Science Program
AbstractThis presentation segments truck vibration data into shock-only events and random vibration, to address brittle failure caused by instantaneous shock and fatigue damage caused by random vibration. Shock data is used to compute a Shock Response Spectrum (SRS) and synthesize a corresponding acceleration-time history for lab equipment to produce shock input. The remaining vibration data is stitched to produce a Power Spectral Density (PSD) and a Fatigue Damage Spectrum (FDS) for accelerated vibration test.
 

3:30pm - Temperature Lane Mapping, Qualification, and Management: ISTA and USP Guidance and Case Study

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractVery little guidance has been published on Temperature Lane Mapping, Qualification, and Management.  The ISTA Pharma Committee published ISTA Pharma Committee Whitepaper: Lane Management in 2023 and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) published a draft General Chapter USP <1079.5> Transport Lane Temperature Mapping and Qualification and the peer reviewed article, “Transportation Lane Temperature Mapping and Qualification: Risk Identification and Evaluation” Pharmacopeial Forum on 1 September 2025.  The final chapter will be published and effective in 2026.

The complexity of temperature lane mapping, qualification, and management is dramatically increased for wholesale distributors shipping thousands of products on hundreds of lanes. Additionally, there are additional challenges when manufacturers are evaluating freight forwarders. 

This presentation will review the recently published USP general chapter and peer reviewed article to cover the USP proposed guidance. This presentation will also cover a case study of a wholesale drug distributor in the United States and a medical device distributor in Canada. The presentation will cover how lanes from multiple distribution centers were chosen out of hundreds of lanes and thousands of customer designation addresses. The presentation will cover data ingestion into Tableau Dashboards, use of risk management criteria, and evaluation against all lane data to establish a rationale to match worst-case mapped lane data and group lanes not mapped with executed lanes. Quality plans to address risks and to identify additional lanes that need to be mapped.
 

4:00pm - Prediction Modeling of Pallet Overhang on Box Compression Strength

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
  • Eduardo Molina
    Eduardo Molina
    Assistant Professor
    Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design - Virginia Tech
AbstractAccurate prediction of box compression strength (BCT) loss resulting from pallet overhang is critical for maintaining the integrity of corrugated packaging in global logistics. This study presents an expanded empirical analysis and predictive modeling framework to quantify the impact of pallet overhang on BCT. An integrated dataset that combined data from previous research with newly conducted experiments was developed to capture a broad range of box configurations, board types, and overhang conditions. Corrugated boxes fabricated from three board grades were tested under standardized conditions following TAPPI 804. A space-filling design systematically varied box dimensions and overhang magnitudes along the width, length, or both sides. The combined training dataset included 2,723 compression tests.  An additional 600 compression tests from thirty commercial box designs formed an independent validation set used to evaluate model performance. A multiple linear regression model was developed, yielding an R² of 0.867 on training data, and 0.707 on validation data, with normally distributed residuals. Box height and edge crush test (ECT) values exhibited minimal influence within the studied ranges, while overhang magnitude, box perimeter and board type were the significant predictors of strength reduction. To further enhance predictive accuracy and capture nonlinear effects, different machine learning (ML) algorithms were evaluated. Cross validation was conducted for each of three best ML models to mitigate overfitting. These validated ML models provide packaging professionals with data driven tools to predict BCT loss due to pallet overhang, enabling sustainable, reliable and optimized packaging system design.
 

4:00pm - Whitepaper Updates: Temperature Monitoring, Real Time Monitoring, and Sustainable Management of Monitoring Devices

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
AbstractGuided by insights from recent industry surveys, the ISTA Pharma Committee has identified these topics as priorities for new industry guidance. This session provides an overview and progress update on three ISTA Pharma Committee whitepapers: Temperature Monitoring Whitepaper, Real Time Monitoring Considerations, and Sustainable Management of Temperature Monitoring Devices. Hear directly from the whitepaper leads as they share the scope, objectives, and key focus areas of each document, offering attendees early insight into the guidance being developed.

ISTA PCW 06 | Temperature Monitoring Whitepaper
Presenter:
  • Mark Maurice, ISTA Pharma Committee Board Member, Sensitech
ISTA PCW 07 | Real Time Monitoring Considerations Whitepaper
Presenter:
  • Richard Peck, ISTA Pharma Committee At Large Board Officer, RP Pharma Consulting Ltd
ISTA PCW 08 | Sustainable Management of Temperature Monitoring Devices Whitepaper
Presenter:
  • Mark Maurice, ISTA Pharma Committee Board Member, Sensitech

4:30 - Future-Focused: ISTA Forum USA Interactive Wrap-Up

Event: TransPack
Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
AbstractJoin us for an interactive wrap-up session where your input matters! Through live polling, we’ll explore real-time insights into key challenges, research needs, best practices, sustainability strategies, damage rates, and emerging trends in optimizing packaging solutions. Be part of the conversation that drives insight and collaboration across the transport packaging community.

4:45 pm - Closing Remarks

Event: TempPack
Room: Valley of the Sun A/B
  • Bryan Cardis
    Bryan Cardis
    Senior Director, Customer Optimization
    Cold Chain Technologies
Abstract   

Annual Meeting of ISTA Members

Room: Valley of the Sun D/E
Join Nora Crivello, ISTA Global Board Chair, and A.J. Gruber, ISTA President & CEO, at the Annual Meeting of ISTA Members. Together, they will deliver board member updates, financial and membership reports for 2025, and share ISTA's strategic focus for 2026. This is an open meeting.

      

Forum Closing Celebration Dinner

Celebrate the closing of the 2026 ISTA Forum at one of Phoenix’s most eclectic venues—The Duce—for an evening of great food, drinks, games, and music. Unwind and connect with friends at this exclusive celebration in a truly unique setting. Transportation will be provided and a Forum name badge is required for entry. The reception is complimentary for attendees, and guest tickets can be purchased during registration. All attendees and guests must be 18 years or older.

A.J. Gruber

Mr. Gruber is President & CEO of the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA), an association focused on minimizing product damage throughout distribution and optimizing resource usage through effective package design. He also serves as President of the ISTA Educational Foundation. Prior to joining ISTA as the VP Technical in 2012, Mr. Gruber spent 6 years focused on the specific concerns of transport packaging and dangerous goods at UPS where he led the development of the UPS Eco Responsible Packaging Program. His various industry activities include the Editorial Board for the Journal of Applied Packaging Research (JAPR), Cal Poly Industry Advisory Board, and the Cal Poly Research Consortium.

Bryan Cardis

Bryan is Graduate of Michigan State University with a Degree in Packaging with over 23 years of experience in temperature-controlled packaging development, warehousing, transportation, and logistics. Bryan is an active member of the ISTA Pharma Committee engaged in industry collaboration, creating industry best practice guidance documents, and driving industry standardization. Formerly, Bryan worked at Eli Lilly and Company for 18 years serving as a Senior Advisor for Global Packaging and the Temperature Controlled Center of Excellence enhancing global temperature-controlled solutions and distribution and logistics processes. Currently, Bryan is the Sr. Director of Technical Services for Cold Chain Technologies focusing on providing extensive pharma background and expertise to aid in development of cost-effective thermal solutions that meet customer safety, environmental, regulatory, and quality requirements. 

Brian Wagner

Brian Wagner is a seasoned executive with over 40 years of experience driving innovation and growth in the packaging industry. As co-founder of PTIS LLC, he has advised over 300 Fortune 500 and Forbes 1000 companies on sustainability, digital transformation, and market strategies. His “Future of Packaging” program has shaped board-level decisions in CPG, manufacturing, and retail. Brian serves on boards for Michigan State University, the City of Petoskey, and nonprofits, bringing expertise in governance, risk management, and ethical decision-making. He is available for corporate board roles and strategic consulting to elevate your organization’s vision. He is a past member of ISTA NA Board and recipient of the R. David LeButt Packaging Education award.

Bryan Cardis

Carolyn Williamson

Carolyn has 20 years’ experience in supply chain qualification spanning the development and commercial components in both pharmaceutical and biologics space. Carolyn has been active in this space within the industry throughout her career and currently is serving on the ISTA Pharma Committee Board. Carolyn transferred her career to a consulting role in 2019 as President of Parenteral Supply Chain offering her the freedom to work on every aspect of the supply chain from Mile 1 to the Last Mile. Carolyn is certified as a Project Management Professional. She uses this experience in managing projects for her clients. She holds a B.S. degree from The Catholic University of America and an M.B.A. degree from LeMoyne College. She is also a Distinguished Toastmaster and an avid runner enjoying the challenges of marathons.

Arminda Montero

Arminda Montero is Global Supply Chain Quality Associate Director at AbbVie.  In her role, she leads strategic initiatives focusing on supply chain integrity, distribution and logistics, and temperature control management.  Arminda has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 20 years and prior to her current role, she held positions in engineering, manufacturing and operational excellence.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Arminda is an active member of various industry groups and a frequent speaker at temperature control management forums.  She has co-authored various temperature control management articles, PDA Technical Reports and ISTA best practice guidelines.  Arminda currently serves on the ISTA Pharma Committee Leadership Team.

Bill Mayer

Bill has over 16 years of experience in the cold chain packaging industry and is currently the Director of Research and Development at Pelican BioThermal. Some areas of specialization for him include passive thermal packaging design, materials R & D and thermal testing. He is co-inventor of several patents pertaining to passive thermal packaging and participates in an industry SME group writing whitepapers. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in mathematics from North Dakota State University (NDSU).

Anthony "TJ" Rizzo

Anthony (TJ) Rizzo is responsible for the development and execution of CCT’s commercial strategy while also providing leadership, coordination, and financial oversight of the global business units and regional commercial teams. Additionally, he is a significant driver for CCT’s continued geographic expansion as well as new product and services introductions. TJ has made significant contributions to the growth of CCT over the last 19 years globally and has been instrumental in leading the development and deployment of CCT’s reusable and sustainable strategy.

TJ received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and has his Master of Business Administration in Management from University of Massachusetts Amherst. Additionally, he is a founding member and chair of the ISTA Pharma Committee. TJ is an expert member of the Parental Drug Association (PDA) Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Interest Group (PCCIG) as a co-author on PDA Technical Reports 39, 46, and 52, as well as on the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) within International Standards Organization (ISO).

William Green

Bill Green
Distinguished Engineer & Chief Technologist, Supply Chain Optimization, Sustainability & Protection – IBM Corporation
Chair, ISTA Global Board Sustainability Committee
Master Inventor, IBM
Bill Green is a Distinguished Engineer and Chief Technologist at IBM, where he leads global initiatives in supply chain optimization, sustainability, and product protection. With over two decades of experience in packaging engineering and logistics, Bill has pioneered IBM’s sustainability packaging strategy, resulting in the elimination of over 8,700 tons of packaging waste and generating more than $20 million in cost savings.
A recognized thought leader in the transport packaging industry, Bill serves as Chair of ISTA’s Global Board Sustainability Committee and is the Immediate Past Chair of ISTA’s Global Board of Directors. He is a passionate advocate for embedding sustainability into every facet of packaging and logistics, emphasizing that environmental stewardship is both a business and moral imperative.
Bill is a Master Inventor at IBM, holding multiple patents and mentoring dozens of colleagues through the innovation process. His accolades include the Black Engineer of the Year Dr. Mark E. Dean Legacy Award for Technical Excellence, IBM’s Outstanding Innovation Award, and the Supply Chain Distinction Award for North America.

Eduardo Molina

Dr. Molina is an Assistant Professor in the Packaging Systems and Design program at Virginia Tech and the Associate Director of the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. He leads a research program dedicated to advancing the adoption of eco-friendly materials in packaging applications for transportation, with a focus on optimizing cold chain packaging. He teaches classes in sustainable packaging design, computer-aided design, and industrial packaging systems. Dr. Molina is actively working on developing an advanced research program in packaging for temperature-sensitive products at Virginia Tech.

Alison Crawley

Alison Crawley is the Global Sustainability Manager at ThermoSafe, leading the company’s sustainability strategy, reporting, and environmental initiatives. She specializes in life cycle assessment and helps customers design lower impact, data driven packaging solutions. Previously, she led sustainability consulting teams delivering third party reviewed LCAs and solving complex challenges involving innovative materials, reusable packaging systems, and utilizing leading LCA software and methodologies. Her work enables organizations to make informed design phase decisions that drive measurable environmental improvement. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Carolyn Williamson

William Snyder

Will is a PhD student researching sustainable packaging, with a focus on measuring and understanding the physical distribution hazards that products experience during transport. His work contributes to the development of packaging solutions that reduce environmental impact while maintaining product protection.

Sebastian Tomlin

As a senior Supply Chain and Logistics leader in the Life Sciences industry, I bring a unique blend of operational expertise, strategic vision, and scientific insight to every challenge I take on. My career spans experience supporting hundreds of organizations — from early-stage biotech startups to global pharmaceutical enterprises — giving me a deep understanding of the complexities and nuances across pre-clinical, clinical, and commercial supply chains.

I’ve built and led high-performing teams, driven cross-functional collaboration, and implemented scalable logistics solutions across diverse geographies. My approach is grounded in data-driven decision-making, a commitment to continuous improvement, and the ability to thrive under pressure while maintaining integrity and clarity.

What sets me apart is my ability to bridge scientific understanding with operational execution — a skill that’s increasingly critical in today’s evolving biotech landscape. I’m particularly focused on the transformative potential of agentic AI systems and emerging technologies to reshape supply chain resilience, visibility, and patient-centric delivery models.

I’m passionate about building supply chains that are not only efficient and compliant, but also adaptive, intelligent, and aligned with the mission of improving patient outcomes at scale.

Eric Elbel

• Work in Pharmaceutical logistics since 2003
• Work history in small and large logistics companies, medical device manufacturing, vaccine manufacturing, and in the gene therapy field
• Dangerous goods expertise, logistics & supply chain management of multiple clinical trials, depth of knowledge of the pharmaceutical cold chain

Sam Upadhyaya

Linnette Lopez

Arminda Montero

Jesús Francisco Marcos

Industrial Engineer specialized in Electronic Systems and Automation, graduated from the School of Industrial Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Holds a Master’s Degree in Data Science and Big Data from IEBS Business School. Currently working as an Industrial Scale-Up Technical Expert at ITENE, where he has been contributing for four years to technical assistance, engineering development, and R&D projects focused on packaging, materials, transport, and monitoring technologies.

Bryan Cardis

Bryan is Graduate of Michigan State University with a Degree in Packaging with over 23 years of experience in temperature-controlled packaging development, warehousing, transportation, and logistics. Bryan is an active member of the ISTA Pharma Committee engaged in industry collaboration, creating industry best practice guidance documents, and driving industry standardization. Formerly, Bryan worked at Eli Lilly and Company for 18 years serving as a Senior Advisor for Global Packaging and the Temperature Controlled Center of Excellence enhancing global temperature-controlled solutions and distribution and logistics processes. Currently, Bryan is the Sr. Director of Technical Services for Cold Chain Technologies focusing on providing extensive pharma background and expertise to aid in development of cost-effective thermal solutions that meet customer safety, environmental, regulatory, and quality requirements. 

A.J. Gruber

Bryan Cardis

Bryan is Graduate of Michigan State University with a Degree in Packaging with over 23 years of experience in temperature-controlled packaging development, warehousing, transportation, and logistics. Bryan is an active member of the ISTA Pharma Committee engaged in industry collaboration, creating industry best practice guidance documents, and driving industry standardization. Formerly, Bryan worked at Eli Lilly and Company for 18 years serving as a Senior Advisor for Global Packaging and the Temperature Controlled Center of Excellence enhancing global temperature-controlled solutions and distribution and logistics processes. Currently, Bryan is the Sr. Director of Technical Services for Cold Chain Technologies focusing on providing extensive pharma background and expertise to aid in development of cost-effective thermal solutions that meet customer safety, environmental, regulatory, and quality requirements. 

Ian Skinner

Ian is a 4th-year Packaging Science student at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) graduating in May 2026. He has completed two Co-Ops at Mars Wrigley with the global and regional teams, developing skills in project management, packaging design, and sustainable practices. Ian also has extensive lab testing experience from working in the RIT Packaging Dynamics lab for over two years. He is looking forward to returning to Mars Wrigley full-time this coming summer as a rotational associate.

Luke Ross

Luke Ross is a 4th-year Mechanical Engineering Technology BS and Mechanical and Manufacturing Systems Integration MS, graduating in Spring 2027. He has had internships at Plug Power, Baldwin Richardson Foods, FTL Labs, and BETE Fog Nozzle. He currently works at RIT as a thermodynamics TA and CNC machining lab TA. He has recently started working on research with the Mechanical Engineering Technology department related to drop deposition and in-vitro lung models. He started working on the vibrational mechanics for the 2-DOF vibration table and has been helping with the design.

Derek Moelbert

Derek is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering Technology student at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He is the vice president of RIT’s American Society of Mechanical Engineers and led their Pumpkin launcher competition at the University of Rochester, and over half a dozen exhibits for the RIT Imagine festival. During an internship at Waygate Technologies, he focused on supplier quality and interdisciplinary communication, using skills developed at RIT to fix problem parts millimeters wide and push forward drawing changes. With over a year left in his dual degree program he is looking forward to completing research with Professor Dunno and the rest of his fellow students.

Joe Byrnes

Joe Byrnes is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering and Technology student pursuing his BS/MS in Manufacturing and Mechanical Systems Integration at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and plans to graduate in May of 2027. He has completed two co-ops with GE Vernova and is currently in the process of searching for his third and final co-op. At RIT, he is a member of his college's Student Advisory Board (CET SAB), has served several leadership positions through his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, and has worked on research projects with Dr. Kyle Dunno since January.

Mirta Reyes

Mirta Reyes-Ruiz is the Temperature Control Project Manager for the Temperature Control Support Center, leading development of work processes and technical solutions that integrate regulatory-compliant product and customer delivery requirements into distribution operations for all J&J franchise products. Her responsibilities include lane mapping, setting temperature profiles, and qualifying passive and active temperature-control systems to safeguard product integrity across distribution.

Previously, she served as Program Manager for Pharma External Supply-Operations & Strategy, where she led the Serialization implementation across North America and EMEA—coordinating internal and external manufacturing cross functional teams to meet track & trace regulatory requirements. She also held the role of Portfolio Management Lead for Pharma sites worldwide, building strong global program delivery experience and cross cultural adaptability.

Her industry career began in 1992 at Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) as a Process Engineer on a pharmaceutical plant start up supporting a major product transfer. She subsequently worked in Production, Process Engineering, and Technical Operations. In 2005 she joined the Janssen as Staff Process Engineer for solid dosage product transfers and progressed through roles of increasing responsibility, including Production Maintenance Supervisor, Project Manager, and Capital Portfolio Manager.

Mirta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering (Industrial Automation) from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.

Jordan D'Amario

Jordan is a student at Michigan State University with more than three years of research experience focused on consumer insights, AI-driven analysis, and packaging development. Her work centers on understanding consumer behavior and leveraging emerging technologies to inform strategic design and innovation.

Samuel Skran

Sam is a Project Engineer at ThermoSafe, working out of ISC Labs in Montgomeryville, PA. He designs, develops, and tests temperature-controlled packaging solutions in the cold chain space. He was previously a packaging engineer in the pharmaceutical space focusing on sterile packaging. He has a M.S. in Materials Science Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Materials Science Engineering from Rutgers University.

Derek Russell

Payton Moore

Payton Moore is a packaging enthusiast passionate about designing smarter, more sustainable solutions for the future. At Procter & Gamble, she honed her skills in materials analysis, consumer-focused design, sustainability, and ISTA testing, even developing an FEA-based tool to evaluate packaging performance in real-world conditions. As president of her university’s packaging engineering club, she leads initiatives that connect students with industry, spark curiosity, and encourage hands-on innovation. Always exploring new materials and circular design ideas, Payton is dedicated to expanding her expertise and shaping the next generation of sustainable packaging that balances performance, environmental responsibility, and creativity.

Gloria Mai

Gloria Mai is an undergraduate student at the University of Florida pursuing a degree in Biological Engineering with a specialization in Packaging Engineering. Graduating in 2026, she plans to continue her education with a Master’s in Packaging at Michigan State University. Her interests span packaging design, distribution and operations, and human factors. Gloria currently applies her knowledge of packaging distribution and heat-transfer principles through her work in UF’s packaging research lab and design course projects. Building upon her prior industry experience in packaging operations, she aims to pursue a career in packaging reliability and operations.

Jim Thomson

Jim Thomson serves as Director of Packaging Product Development at Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. In this role, Thomson leads initiatives to develop inbound packaging standards for Walmart’s global supplier network. His work focuses on creating test protocols that ensure products move safely through one of the world’s most advanced supply chains. He is also deeply involved in automation technologies that are shaping new retail packaging standards for decades to come.

William Pelletier

William Pelletier obtained his Ph.D. from the Agricultural and Biological Engineering department of the University of Florida in 2010. Dr. Pelletier is an Instructional Associate Professor at the same institution where he teaches multiple undergraduate and graduate courses associated with biological and packaging engineering. He has been involved in the field of heat and mass transfer, packaging as well as cold chain technologies for more than 25 years. He worked on the development and data analysis of the ISTA 7E ambient temperature profiles. More recently, Dr. Pelletier created and teaches ISTA CC 101: Principles of Cold Chain Packaging.

Lucas Avery

Lucas Avery is a Product Development Engineer at The Illuminate Group in Tampa, Florida. His work involves research and product development in the cold chain packaging engineering field. Lucas attended the University of Florida, where he received his Biological Engineering degree in May 2025. While at the University of Florida, Lucas completed a research project sponsored by the ISTA Educational Foundation on how convective heat transfer and palletization affect the thermal performance of insulated shipping containers. He presented this work at the 2024 ISTA TempPack Forum with fellow student Juan Suarez. This project, under the guidance of now co-presenter Dr. William Pelletier, established Lucas's appreciation for cold chain packaging engineering. In this year's presentation, Lucas and William continue to apply core heat transfer principles to the design of insulated shipping containers by examining how refrigerant geometry and combination impact their thermal performance.

A.J. Gruber

Paul Larson

With over 15 years at Amazon, Mr. Larson, Senior Program Manager AMXL supported and led the development and global adoption of AMXL Packaging best practices across Amazon's heavy and bulky fulfillment networks. His work sits at the intersection of packaging innovation, customer experience, and sustainability — driving company-wide standards that protect products, reduce waste, and fulfill Amazon's promise to customers.

A long-time advocate for science-based packaging testing, he has been an active member of the ISTA Standards Council since 2023, contributing to the evolution of e-commerce packaging and shipping standards.

Chris Anderson

Chris Anderson is a recognized leader in pharmaceutical quality systems (QS) and cold chain logistics, currently serving as Director of Quality Management at Cardinal Health. With a strong background in developing and implementing wholesale drug quality systems, he has led award-winning initiatives in temperature management and cold chain packaging, receiving four industry awards for innovations that ensure patient safety. At Cardinal Health, his responsibilities span temperature-controlled packaging qualification, temperature storage, excursion management, quality management systems, QS analytics, specialty pharmaceutical distribution compliance, and compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).

Anderson plays a vital role in shaping industry standards through his work with the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), where he serves on the Packaging and Distribution Expert Committee and co-chairs the GDP Storage and Transportation sub-committee. He has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed stimuli articles and contributed to new and revised USP chapters related to temperature excursion management, storage qualification, and transportation lane qualification. Additionally, he serves on the Pharma Board of the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA), where he helped develop best practice guidelines for temperature-controlled shipping systems.

Elin Akerlund

Elin Akerlund is a Project Manager and Research & Development Engineer in the division of Bioeconomy at RISE in Stockholm. She drives initiatives to create smarter, more sustainable packaging solutions tailored to customer needs. With a strong focus on innovation, Elin is also in charge of and actively involved in research projects centered on corrugated board, pushing the boundaries of material performance and design.

Prashanth Srinivasa

Prashanth Srinivasa is a senior researcher in the division of Bioeconomy at RISE in Stockholm. His background is in Sound & Vibrations and Solid Mechanics. He works mainly on the mechanics of fibre based materials utilising both experimental and numerical methods. His primary interest is in fibre-based materials, particularly material structure & material property interactions and the mechanics therein. He has worked on the multi-scale mechanics of cellulose based porous materials, mechanics of 3D fibre networks, fracture mechanics of low-density cellulose fibre networks and bio-based composites, and dynamical testing. He is mostly motivated by understanding the underlying mechanisms that define the mechanical property space of new sustainable fibre-based materials and thereby to contributing to their improved performance.

Tiffany Paupst

Tiffany Paupst is a Chemical Engineer with 20 years of experience in Quality, Operations, and Engineering. Since 2016, she has focused on life sciences, specializing in cold chain packaging and distribution technologies. Tiffany currently supports Packaging Technical Operations at Merck and has served on the ISTA Pharma Committee Board since 2023, where she is committed to helping advance best practices across the life science community.

Miguel Herrera

Miguel Herrera is a dedicated member of the Allianz Loss Control team, with over 28 years of extensive experience in the maritime industry. Based in sunny South Florida, Miguel's career spans both seagoing and shore-based sectors, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of maritime operations and safety protocols.

Current Role: For the past four years, Miguel has been a proud member of Allianz Risk Consultant team, where he is passionate about ensuring the safe handling and transportation of goods. He looks forward to collaborating closely with colleagues and partners to achieve proactive loss control solutions.

Seagoing Experience: Miguel's maritime journey began at sea, where he gained invaluable experience sailing on crude oil tankers and passenger ships. These roles provided him with a solid foundation in maritime operations and safety protocols.

Shore-Based Experience: Onshore, Miguel has served as a vessel planner for a major container carrier and a terminal operator on the U.S. West Coast. As a vessel planner, he optimized the loading, stowage, and unloading of containers, ensuring efficient cargo distribution while maintaining vessel stability and safety. His responsibilities included coordinating with terminal operators, adhering to cargo-specific stowage guidelines, and complying with safety regulations to minimize port turnaround times and optimize fuel efficiency.

Marine Surveyor Experience: Miguel has extensive experience as a marine surveyor across various U.S. ports, conducting a wide range of inspections. His expertise includes general and hazardous materials inspections, ensuring compliance with regulations such as the CSS Code, CTU Code, 49 CFR, and IMDG Code. He has performed cargo damage assessments, managed hazardous material compliance, and conducted flag state inspections for countries like Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, and Marshall Islands. Additionally, Miguel has handled specialized surveys, including breakbulk, heavy lift, on-hire/off-hire condition assessments, and bunker evaluations.

Education and Certifications: Miguel graduated from the Venezuelan Nautical Academy in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, with a Bachelor's Degree in Nautical Science and holds a Merchant Marine Officer License.

Added Value: Miguel is committed to strengthening relationships and developing loss control solutions that benefit all parties involved. He believes in partnership and collaboration, recognizing that every day presents new opportunities for growth and learning. Miguel is eager to work together with colleagues and partners to accomplish proactive loss control solutions and ensure the safe handling and transportation of goods.

Miguel Herrera's diverse experience and dedication to maritime safety make him a valuable asset to the Allianz Loss Control team, where he continues to contribute to the success of the organization and its partners.




















Miguel Herrera is a dedicated member of the Allianz Loss Control team, with over 28 years of extensive experience in the maritime industry. Based in sunny South Florida, Miguel's career spans both seagoing and shore-based sectors, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of maritime operations and safety protocols.

Current Role: For the past four years, Miguel has been a proud member of Allianz Risk Consultant team, where he is passionate about ensuring the safe handling and transportation of goods. He looks forward to collaborating closely with colleagues and partners to achieve proactive loss control solutions.

Seagoing Experience: Miguel's maritime journey began at sea, where he gained invaluable experience sailing on crude oil tankers and passenger ships. These roles provided him with a solid foundation in maritime operations and safety protocols.

Shore-Based Experience: Onshore, Miguel has served as a vessel planner for a major container carrier and a terminal operator on the U.S. West Coast. As a vessel planner, he optimized the loading, stowage, and unloading of containers, ensuring efficient cargo distribution while maintaining vessel stability and safety. His responsibilities included coordinating with terminal operators, adhering to cargo-specific stowage guidelines, and complying with safety regulations to minimize port turnaround times and optimize fuel efficiency.

Marine Surveyor Experience: Miguel has extensive experience as a marine surveyor across various U.S. ports, conducting a wide range of inspections. His expertise includes general and hazardous materials inspections, ensuring compliance with regulations such as the CSS Code, CTU Code, 49 CFR, and IMDG Code. He has performed cargo damage assessments, managed hazardous material compliance, and conducted flag state inspections for countries like Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, and Marshall Islands. Additionally, Miguel has handled specialized surveys, including breakbulk, heavy lift, on-hire/off-hire condition assessments, and bunker evaluations.

Education and Certifications: Miguel graduated from the Venezuelan Nautical Academy in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, with a Bachelor's Degree in Nautical Science and holds a Merchant Marine Officer License.

Added Value: Miguel is committed to strengthening relationships and developing loss control solutions that benefit all parties involved. He believes in partnership and collaboration, recognizing that every day presents new opportunities for growth and learning. Miguel is eager to work together with colleagues and partners to accomplish proactive loss control solutions and ensure the safe handling and transportation of goods.

Miguel Herrera's diverse experience and dedication to maritime safety make him a valuable asset to the Allianz Loss Control team, where he continues to contribute to the success of the organization and its partners.

Shyam Saladi

James Parkin

Ken Leung

For 15 years, Ken led shock, vibration, and mechanical testing for Google Cloud—building the methods and test strategies behind reliable hardware deployments at global scale.

Highlights:
•Defined shock & vibration conditions for Google Cloud’s global supply chain.
•Developed cutting-edge shock & vibration methodologies for fully populated rack (L11) deployments of next-gen AI/ML hardware.
•Built cohesive test strategies — closing the loop from design to deployment.
•Creator of Google’s open-source “Random Vibration Testing of Fully Populated Racks” Project

Mary Alvarez Valverde

Dr. Alvarez Valverde is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in the Department of Engineering and Technology. She teaches courses focusing on distribution packaging, packaging research, and corrugated packaging materials. Her current work focuses on collaborations between students and industry partners and promoting an industry-focused pedagogical experience for her students. Her previous publications and previous work during her PhD at Virginia Tech focus on the interactions of industrial packaging such as pails and drums with wooden pallets.

Brian Wallin

Brian Wallin is responsible for the development and execution of CCT’s Customer Optimization and Implementation Services and Commercial Management focused on the Cell and Gene Therapy Industry.

Brian has over 22 years of packaging industry experience focused on cold chain packaging, distribution, and logistics within food (FreshRealm) and Pharmaceutical (Amgen, Modality Solutions, and Kite Pharma)   Most recently, Brian worked at Kite Pharma a Gilead Company, as the Associate Director of Packaging Engineering leading Kites Global Packaging Engineering team.  

Brian received his Bachelor of Science in Packaging Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Stout. Brian has been a member of both the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) Pharma Committee, and a member of the Parental Drug Association (PDA) Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Interest Group (PCCIG) where he has co-authored ISTA standards, and guidance documents, along with PDA Technical Report 39 and several other Cold Chain related publications.

Grace Bilicki

Grace Bilicki is a 4th year undergraduate packaging student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and is graduating in May of 2026. She has completed a co-op with Boston Scientific in their Urology division and will be working for Boston Scientific as a Packaging Engineer I in Minnesota upon graduation.

Tate Lidberg

Tate Lidberg is a 4th year student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and plans to graduate in December of 2026. He has completed a packaging engineering co-op at Johnsonville Sausage and will be a packaging engineer intern at Coloplast Interventional Urology in Minneapolis, MN this summer.

James Raw

James has over 30 years of experience in packaging testing and evaluation, with a broad knowledge of packaging materials and processes, and the global supply chain. Having managed projects in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, James has extensive knowledge of test methods, shipment hazards, and real-life conditions on an international scale.

James’ knowledge covers sectors and packaged products from medical devices and pharmaceuticals to consumer goods, industrial components, and electronics. His project experience ranges from damage reduction to pack design and cost avoidance. He also spent four years specifically working with packaging for dangerous goods, and brings a vast amount of transferable technical expertise from this.

James’ technical experience is supported by his degree in Materials and Mathematics. James is also an International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) Certified Packaging Laboratory Professional (CPLP) Technologist.

Hethson Mwinkum

Research interest: Extractables and leachables in pharmaceutical packaging and exploring the possible use of bioplastics in pharmaceutical packaging.

Stephanie Ihejirika

Research interest: Improving the packaging of moisture and oxygen sensitive oral solid dosage form.

Matt Thompson

Matt has a Bachelor of Science degree in Packaging from San Jose State University in California. Matt began his career in packaging right out of college working for Sealed Air Corporation.  Over 29 years at Sealed Air, Matt started out as a Packaging Engineer and Packaging Design & Test Lab Manager.  He worked his way up from there into many different positions in global marketing, business management, product development, digital transformation and research & development. Matt now works for ISTA focusing on development and growth of ISTA’s education and digital platforms. Matt’s career in the packaging industry began in 1991 in California.  He relocated with his family to Connecticut in 2000 where he lived for 16 years before relocating again to North Carolina in 2016 where he still lives today.

Brian O'Banion

Eric Hiser

Eric Hiser is Vice President of Standards & Certification at International Safe Transit Association (ISTA). He manages the ISTA Standards Council including all technical activities, development and maintenance of ISTA Procedures and Projects, and ISTA Certification programs for labs, packaged-products and people. Eric is a graduate of the Michigan State University School of Packaging with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Packaging. He has an extensive background in transport packaging performance testing as well as developing packaging for the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) market.

Jeff Lander

Jeff is a logistics and cold chain leader with over a decade of experience in pharmaceutical distribution, currently serving as Director of Global Logistics Engineering at Moderna. He joined Moderna at the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and was instrumental in rapidly scaling the organization from a clinical-stage company to a global commercial enterprise that enabled the reliable distribution of more than one billion doses of Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine worldwide.

Jeff specializes in building and scaling end-to-end cold chain strategies, including the development of global shipping validation frameworks, robust packaging solutions, and advanced temperature monitoring systems. He is particularly focused on establishing integrated logistics control towers that enhance real-time visibility, proactive risk management, and data-driven decision-making across global supply networks.

A recognized subject matter expert, Jeff regularly supports regulatory inspections and audits, translating complex cold chain requirements into operational excellence. He is deeply passionate about advancing the pharmaceutical logistics industry while driving innovation in cold chain visibility and performance to ultimately improve product integrity and patient outcomes worldwide.

A.J. Gruber

Salih Yildiz

Salih Yildiz is a Principal Engineer specializing in computational and multiphysics simulation for medical and industrial applications. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on material characterization and modeling under extreme loading conditions, including blast loading and ballistic impact. Prior to his current role, he served as an Assistant Professor at the City College of New York (CCNY) for three years. With over a decade of experience, he develops physics-based solutions and integrates simulation with experimental validation to solve complex engineering challenges and enable reliable, high-performance designs.

Jay Singh

A distinguished academic leader and recognized expert in packaging technology, Dr. Jay Singh serves as Professor of Industrial Technology and Packaging at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. During his nearly two decades as Packaging Program Director (2003–2022), he acted as the primary architect of the program's global ascent. By spearheading comprehensive curriculum development and driving substantial growth across all academic metrics, Dr. Singh cemented the department’s reputation as an international leader in packaging education and research.
With a research portfolio supported by $9 million in grants, Dr. Singh is a leading authority on sustainable packaging, distribution testing and supply chain resilience. His scholarly contributions include over 100 peer-reviewed articles and 78 conference papers, reaching a global audience with a quarter-million downloads and nearly 2,900 citations. His influence extends deeply into the private sector, having consulted for over 250 international firms and produced hundreds of technical industry evaluations. Additionally, through Daksha Packaging Group, Dr. Singh serves as a technical expert in high-stakes packaging litigation.
Dr. Singh has held prominent international leadership roles, including serving as President of the International Association of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI) and holding board positions with the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA). He holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University’s School of Packaging. His career is defined by a commitment to inclusive leadership, industry-academic collaboration, and the advancement of sustainable packaging systems.

Mary Ellen O'Toole

Mary Ellen is a sustainability analyst at Trayak, a sustainability software solutions and consulting company recognized for its pioneering EcoImpact platform dedicated to advancing product and packaging sustainability. In her role, Mary Ellen works directly with packaging engineers, designers, and sustainability professionals in various industries to help them meet their sustainability goals. By leveraging advanced data analytics, she uncovers areas for improvement within a company's product and packaging portfolio.

Anthony "TJ" Rizzo

Bryan Cardis

Dave Leinberger

BS & MS in Packaging: Michigan State University
35 Years experience in transport packaging
ISTA LPDP. Research Council Member, Standards Council- Past Chair
IoPP College of Fellows
ASTM D-10 member

Luke Venechuk

MS in Packaging: Michigan State University
15 Years experience in transport packaging and testing
ASTM D10.25 Vice-Chairman
Former ISTA Standards Council Member

Changfeng Ge

Dr. Changfeng Ge is a Professor of Packaging Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).  He received his Doctor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany, and holds Master and Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tongji University, China. Dr Ge joined RIT in 2005 and has served as the founding director of the American Packaging Corporation Center for Packaging Innovation at RIT since 2008. Prior to joining RIT, Dr Ge worked as the Technical Director for Pack Solutions Pte Ltd and Senior Engineer in Singapore Institute of Industrial Research.

Chris Anderson

Chris Anderson is a recognized leader in pharmaceutical quality systems (QS) and cold chain logistics, currently serving as Director of Quality Management at Cardinal Health. With a strong background in developing and implementing wholesale drug quality systems, he has led award-winning initiatives in temperature management and cold chain packaging, receiving four industry awards for innovations that ensure patient safety. At Cardinal Health, his responsibilities span temperature-controlled packaging qualification, temperature storage, excursion management, quality management systems, QS analytics, specialty pharmaceutical distribution compliance, and compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).

Anderson plays a vital role in shaping industry standards through his work with the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), where he serves on the Packaging and Distribution Expert Committee and co-chairs the GDP Storage and Transportation sub-committee. He has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed stimuli articles and contributed to new and revised USP chapters related to temperature excursion management, storage qualification, and transportation lane qualification. Additionally, he serves on the Pharma Board of the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA), where he helped develop best practice guidelines for temperature-controlled shipping systems.

Outside of his professional work, Anderson a passionate landscape, lifestyle, and street photographer; he is also an aspiring classical guitarist; avid outdoorsman; and proud father and grandfather.

Eduardo Molina

Dr. Molina is an Assistant Professor in the Packaging Systems and Design program at Virginia Tech and the Associate Director of the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. He leads a research program dedicated to advancing the adoption of eco-friendly materials in packaging applications for transportation, with a focus on optimizing cold chain packaging. He teaches classes in sustainable packaging design, computer-aided design, and industrial packaging systems. Dr. Molina is actively working on developing an advanced research program in packaging for temperature-sensitive products at Virginia Tech.

Mark Maurice

Mark worked previously at United Parcel Service for sixteen years as an Industrial Engineering and Operations Manager.  While at UPS, Mark completed numerous projects as a Project Manager focused on supply chain and warehousing improvements.  

Mark earned his Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Bachelors in Architecture from the University at Buffalo.

Richard Peck

Temperature-Controlled Supply Chain & Logistics. Responsible Person (RP) and GDP Expert. Sustainability Champion. Strategy Development. Non-Executive Director. Charity Advisor.

A.J. Gruber

Bryan Cardis

Bryan is Graduate of Michigan State University with a Degree in Packaging with over 23 years of experience in temperature-controlled packaging development, warehousing, transportation, and logistics. Bryan is an active member of the ISTA Pharma Committee engaged in industry collaboration, creating industry best practice guidance documents, and driving industry standardization. Formerly, Bryan worked at Eli Lilly and Company for 18 years serving as a Senior Advisor for Global Packaging and the Temperature Controlled Center of Excellence enhancing global temperature-controlled solutions and distribution and logistics processes. Currently, Bryan is the Sr. Director of Technical Services for Cold Chain Technologies focusing on providing extensive pharma background and expertise to aid in development of cost-effective thermal solutions that meet customer safety, environmental, regulatory, and quality requirements.  $pageWrap->print_footer();