Mike Lopane named incoming Executive Director of the Paper Science & Engineering Foundation
Following the retirement of Gary Rudemiller, CEC alumnus Mike Lopane '93 will take on the leadership role starting January 1
Mike Lopane named incoming Executive Director of the Paper Science & Engineering Foundation
This announcement is an excerpt from the Paper Science & Engineering Foundation's Fall Newsletter.
The next Executive Director of the Paper Science & Engineering (PS&E) Foundation at Miami University will be Mike Lopane, a 1993 graduate of Miami's Paper program. Mike will assume the Executive Director's role on January 1, 2026 with the retirement of the foundation's current Executive Director, Gary Rudemiller.
Mike has been associated with Miami's Paper program since 1988 when he enrolled as a firest-year student at Miami. He majored in Paper Science and Engineering, and received Foundation scholarships as a student. He also participated in the co-op program which existed at that time, benefitting from then-Executive Director Bill Copeland’s counsel in seeking out a good co-op experience. Upon graduation in 1993, his first full-time role was with Champion as a process engineer in the Hamilton, Ohio paper mill. During his many years at this site, he progressed through roles of increasing responsibility, finishing up as Production Manager of Stock Prep when the mill closed in 2012. He then shifted to the equipment supply side, joining Kadant Black Clawson in the stock prep applications engineering group, where he has been the Applications Manager for the last ten years. This role opened to door to involvement with customers and capital projects in pulp and paper mills, both in North America and around the world. His background in paper manufacturing and with an equipment supplier gives him a broad perspective of the industry as a sound basis for the Executive Director's role.
For many years, Mike has been a regular attendee at the Foundation's Student Recognition Banquet, the highlight of its April annual meeting. He recognizes the quality of students in the Paper program, and in his role with Kadant, he hired seven Miami Paper Engineering graduates over the years. Mike values mentoring engineers as they embark on their careers, having done this for many early in their careers at Champion and at Kadant. The focus on mentorship and career development will be a great asset that will benefit the students in Miami's Paper program.
Since 2020, Mike has been the Kadant representative to the Foundation, and has been a mainstay on the Board of Trustees (BOT) since then, participating frequently in the bi-monthly BOT conference calls. As a BOT member, he has made significant contributions to the Foundation. He secured the substantial donation from Kadant of a centrifugal cleaner skid that augments the process control hardware in the Paper lab. He organized trips of the MARI students to visit the Kadant machine shop in Lebanon, Ohio, exposing them to an industrial maintenance and fabrication facility. He jointly organized with Steve Sena ('95) the creation of the Doug Hart Honorary Endowed Scholarship and secured its funding in a six-month period, all to honor Doug as he retired from the Paper lab at Miami. For these examples of his dedication and support, the Foundation honored him at the 2025 Annual Meeting with the Pioneer Award, recognizing his "special insights, vision, leadership or incentive to enhance and expand the future of the Paper Science and Engineering program". His affinity for the Paper program is certainly evident in the passion he has displayed through support of the Foundation.
Mike and his wife Stacy, who is also a Miami alumna, reside in West Chester, Ohio and have three adult children and one grandchild. Mike enjoys spending time cooking for friends and family, and traveling.
"It is an honor and a privilege to take over the role of Executive Director of the Paper Science & Engineering Foundation at Miami University," said Mike. "I look forward to contributing to this great program and shaping the future of Miami Paper students for years to come."
