Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA)

The Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA) is a student-run organization dedicated to furthering student knowledge of supply chain management and enhancing the career development of our members. SCMA activities include guest lectures from industry representatives, factory tours, and networking opportunities with the Center for Supply Chain Research (CSCR).

View recent blogs for SCMA

The SCMA sponsored the annual fall career fair held on September 17, 2007. Forty-eight companies participated in the event, which was open to graduate students and undergraduate students as well. Hiring managers from the top supply chain companies in virtually every sector held on-campus interviews, and many of them invited students to their facilities for on-site interviews. The Supply Chain Career Fair remains among the premier recruiting events for supply chain practitioners and has continued to grow.

The Supply Chain Management Association supports field trips to observe operations of companies based throughout Pennsylvania. In recent years, the SCMA has toured several facilities including WalMart, Harley Davidson, and Hershey’s. The facility tours allow students to observe the manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution of products across various types of supply chains. These experiences serve to support the academic concepts covered in class. Most recently, members of the association took a trip to observe the Gardners Candies operation in Tyrone, Pennsylvania.

Tracy Masson, senior manager of Americas Business Operations, Dell Inc. Canada spoke to the SCMA about Dell’s supply chain model. The topic of her discussion was "Leadership and Supply Chain in Dell". In the photograph, Masson spends time with SCMA members to address individual questions after her presentation. We are thankful that Masson, a Penn State alum, has taken time to ensure others will follow in her footsteps.

SCMA members have enjoyed challenging internships within the supply chain. The group enjoyed the opportunity to practice strategic procurement during their internships. On this night, the interns were treated to an evening dinner cruise in New York on behalf of the company. During their internships, they were able to network with managers and apply the lessons they learned in class.

SCMA Event Highlights in 2007-2008

• Internship experience sharing between second-year and first-year supply chain students
• WalMart executive lecture: "Sustainability in the Supply Chain", hosted with Smeal Undergraduate Chapter
  
• Ron Schnur, guest speaker from Sears Holdings
• Supply Chain Fall Career Fair
• Supply Chain "Roundtable" event with John Ramano and Randy Bauer from Honeywell
  
• Tracy Masson, guest speaker from Dell, Inc.
  
• Informal "Supply Chain Coffee House" recruiting event with top companies
  
• Supply Chain Spring Career Fair
• APICS chapter foundation and membership drive
• SCMA tour of manufacturing facilities across Pennsylvania
  

Officer Bios
	Rohit Gurtu, President Rohit hails from New Delhi, India, and prior to Smeal has worked for more than 15 years in the automotive industry. Rohit's last assignment was as manager - parts with Saud Bahwan Automotive LLC, a distributor of Toyota cars in Oman. He has also undertaken various roles in manufacturing, purchasing, and procurement with Maruti Suzuki, Honda Siel Cars, and Delphi Automotive Systems in India. Rohit earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Regional Engineering College, Durgapur, India. At Smeal, he plans to focus on supply chain management and corporate finance. He is married to Megha and they have a seven year old son, Nandit. Rohit is a keen photographer and after coming to State College has found a new passion in cooking. rzg131@psu.edu
	Johny Paul, VP Corporate Relations Johny hails from the port city of Cochin in southern India, but was raised in the eastern part of India. He graduated with a degree in agricultural and food engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. Prior to joining the Smeal MBA program, he has been working for four and a half years at Hewlett-Packard Company at Bangalore, as a senior software designer with its Technology Solutions Group. His responsibilities included designing and implementing data integration processes for Business Intelligence applications catering to HP's worldwide supply chain group. Earlier to that, Johny had been working as a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers based out of Kolkata, India. At PwC, he had been closely involved in assisting global clients from multiple industries with their IT solution implementations. At Smeal, Johny is focusing on supply chain management (SCM) and corporate financial analysis & planning (CFAP) and he aims to spend his post-MBA career helping global organizations in improving the operational effectiveness of their supply chain networks. In his spare time, he enjoys still/urban photography, music, and reading. johny.paul@psu.edu
	Marcia Murphy, VP Finance Marcia is the 2009 vice president of finance for the SCMA. Before she came to Smeal, Marcia spent 10 years in the powdered metal industry, working for Metaldyne Sintered Components, an automotive supplier in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor's degree in English writing at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Marcia’s supply chain interests lie in the area of continuous improvement and the role of ethics in the supply chain. She is focusing on both the supply chain management and strategic leadership portfolios. Marcia enjoys watching the Raiders win, the Chargers lose, and her fantasy football team no matter what the outcome. She hopes her love of all things football can help the SCMA host the best association-run tailgate. mdm5215@psu.edu
	Sammie Markham, VP Student Affairs Sammie Markham is the vice president of student affairs for the Supply Chain Management Association. Sammie received his bachelor’s degree in media arts from Brigham Young University. He lived in Los Angeles for three years working in showbusiness before moving to Virginia where he worked for three years as a facility manager. At Smeal, Sammie is focusing on supply chain management and corporate financial analysis and planning. He is a graduate assistant at the Center for Supply Chain Research. Sammie and his wife, Melissa, have been married for three years. His hobbies include playing his bass guitar and taking pictures. markham@psu.edu

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