Sonya D. B. Email & Phone Number

Sonya earned a BA in Chemistry from Baylor University in 1997 and then worked in the plastics industry for five years where she developed a passion for polymer science. Out of this passion grew a desire to study polymers in detail, so she returned to academia to pursue a graduate degree in 2002. In 2011, Sonya earned a Ph. D. in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech and joined PepsiCo immediately after completing her studies. Since joining PepsiCo, Sonya has worked on a diverse range of packaging projects with a strong focus on environmental sustainability. As part of the PepsiCo Advanced Research Group from 2011 – 2015, Sonya partnered with the PepsiCo Food for Good Program to develop advanced, low cost, environmentally-friendly packaging solutions designed to safely and efficiently deliver nutritious meals to children in summer and after school programs without the use of costly refrigerated trucks. She also worked with the Frito-Lay Fleet Team to extend the battery life of route trucks in urban environments by implementing light-weight solar panels and has also investigated low cost, eco-friendly refrigeration methods for mobile vending. Additionally, Sonya developed next-generation bio-based polymer blends for thin-film snack packaging applications. In 2015, Sonya joined the PepsiCo Global Packaging Innovation team. This role within the company allows her to work in highly collaborative, cross-functional teams that include design, product development, marketing, and sales professionals all working together to bring the next wave of exciting product and packaging innovations to PepsiCo consumers around the world.Sonya enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and sharing her passion for science and lifelong learning with others.