News and Awards

Kevin Linderman named the 2023 Decision Sciences Institute Fellow

Kevin Linderman, professor of Supply Chain Management of Supply Chain and Information Systems and chair of the Supply Chain and Information Systems Department, was named the 2023 Fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) recently at the DSI Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

DSI aims to understand and improve the judgment and decision-making capabilities of individuals, groups, and organizations across all areas of human enterprise. The organization holds eight chapters and has three global divisions with over 50 countries represented in its numbers. Read the full story here.

Lieutenant Colonel Michael “Adam” Taylor and Major Sean O’Rourke, 2023-24 Marine Corps Fellows

Each year, two Marines undergo a competitive selective process to be chosen for the Marine Corps Logistics Fellowship Program at Penn State. This year’s Marine Corps Fellows are Taylor and O’Rourke. A partnership between the Marine Corps and Penn State has made this fellowship program possible, which condenses the Master of Supply Chain Management program offered online through Penn State World Campus into a one-year hybrid program that combines online courses with classes MBA students take through Smeal. Its purpose is to further the education of the selected Marines in supply chain in their respective military roles, earning their master’s degree upon completion. The curriculum is designed around team projects and class collaboration, which allows the Marine Fellows to share their expertise from a military perspective to educate classmates on similar supply chain challenges the military faces and the ways to overcome them. Read the full story here.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

The University ranked No. 21 out of 523 schools for Best Undergraduate Business Programs, up two spots from a year ago. In business specialty programs, Penn State had five ranked in the top 25 of their respective categories: supply chain management/logistics (8); production /operations management (11); management (17); marketing (24); and accounting (25). Read the full story here.

CSCR and Partner Organizations Participate in the 2023 DISCOVER Summit

The DISCOVER (Diversity & Inclusion in Supply Chain) Summit was held on October 17-18, 2023, in Philadelphia, PA. Steve Tracey, executive director for the Center for Supply Chain Research (CSCR) and advisory council member for DISCOVER, participated in the conference along with representatives from the CSCR sponsor base including Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Walmart, and the Hershey Company. Read the full story here.

SCIS Student named Finalist for "Academic Heisman"

Olu Fashanu, the starting left tackle for the Penn State football team who is majoring in supply chain and information systems, has been named a finalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation. The Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, has been called the “Academic Heisman.” Read the full story here. 

CSCMP Recognizes Three Smeal Faculty Members

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) recently honored three current or former members of the Smeal faculty at the CSCMP’s Academic Research Symposium on October 1, 2023, in Kissimmee, Florida. The late John Coyle, professor emeritus of logistics and supply chain management, and John Langley, clinical professor of supply chain and information systems, were named to the inaugural class of the Distinguished Fellows Program and Honors Academic Partners for sustained contributions to supply chain management. The inaugural class included six in-memoriam and 14 active members.

Evelyn Thomchick, associate professor of supply chain management, was also recognized as a “giant” in the profession during the Bowersox Doctoral Symposium at CSCMP. Sue Purdum, associate teaching professor of supply chain management, and Felisa Higgins, the William A. Donan Professor of Business Administration, joined Thomchick in a panel discussion to honor her. Read the full story here.

Smeal Rolls Out New Resident Master of Supply Chain Management Program

The Penn State Smeal College of Business has announced the addition of a new one-year residential master’s program designed for early career individuals looking to pursue leadership roles in the supply chain field. The college is now accepting applications for Fall 2024 enrollment in the new residential Master of Supply Chain Management program. Read the full story here.

Sue Purdum Named First Excellence in Business Ethics Education Award Recipient

Penn State associate teaching professor of supply chain management, Sue Purdum, was selected to receive the inaugural Excellence in business Ethics Education Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to business ethics education. The award acknowledges faculty members who integrate business ethics and social responsibility in their courses. Read the full story here.

Supply Chain & Information Systems faculty spotlight with Lina Wang

Lina Wang is an assistant professor in the Supply Chain and Information Systems Department. Wang shares about her journey to Penn State, research and teaching interests, and her experiences as a newer faculty member. Watch the full interview now.

Celebrating Smeal's Bob Novack in Retirement as an Authority, Mentor, and Friend

Bob Novack, associate professor of supply chain management in the Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems, retired in May. For all the titles he’s held during his 37-year tenure at Penn State and ways that he shaped the Smeal College of Business into one of the country’s most formidable programs of its kind, Robert “Bob” Novack is, foremost, a teacher who helped launch the careers of approximately 25,000 students. Read the full story here.

Tracey Featured in The Daily Item Story on Yahoo Finance

Steve Tracey, professor of practice in supply chain and information systems and executive director of the Center for Supply Chain Research was quoted in The Daily Item story on Yahoo Finance about the current status of inflation and the need for higher employment compensation. Read the full story here. 

Felisa Higgins Appointed to William Donan Professor of Business Administration

Felisa Higgins, associate dean for undergraduate education and clinical professor of supply chain management, has been appointed as the William A. Donan Professor of Business Administration. Felisa fills this professorship upon the recent retirement of Franklin Carter. Read the full story here.

SCIS Student Awarded AWESOME Scholarship

This year’s recipients include Penn State Smeal College of Business student Emma Scott, an incoming supply chain and information systems senior minoring in information systems management. Scott received a $5,000 scholarship and a place among this year’s 20 award winners. Read the full story here.

Seven SCIS Students Earn Distinguished MIT Supply Chain Excellence Awards

Seven Penn State Smeal College of Business supply chain students were awarded distinguished fellowships recently at an award ceremony held by the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. Read the full story here.

Supply Chain Management Student Receives Professional Master's Excellence Award

Sungjin Ryu, a graduate student pursuing a master of supply chain management, was awarded the Professional Master’s Excellence Award for his culminating experience in supply chain management. The Professional Master’s Excellence Award recognizes individual student excellence within any graduate program based on the student’s breadth of experience, performance and professional projects or work. Read the full story here.

Smeal announces Spring 2023 Senior Award Recipients

The Penn State Smeal College of Business annually honors graduating seniors who have made meaningful contributions to Smeal with four different awards. Four students from the SCIS and MIS programs earned various awards. Read the full story here.

SCIS Student Awarded 2023 R. Gene Richter Scholarship

Garrett Callenberger, a supply chain and information systems junior, has been selected as one of six 2023 R. Gene Richter Scholarship recipients. Supported by the R. Gene and Nancy Richter Foundation, the scholarship is offered to students enrolled in an accredited supply chain management program and offers tuition assistance, mentoring, and networking opportunities. Read the full story here.

SCIS Alumni Featured in Forbes

Markea Dickinson-Frasier (SCIS ’14) was recently featured as one of Forbes’ 10 Inspiring Founders Of Startups Focused on Women. She is the Co-Founder of Thermaband, a health-tech company that provides thermal comfort via a smart bracelet and mobile app. Read the full story here.

Four Smeal Students earn Prestigious Scholarships

Four Penn State Smeal College of Business supply chain students were awarded prestigious scholarships recently at the 119th annual dinner of the Traffic Club of Pittsburgh. Matthew Hinkle, a senior supply chain and information systems major and information systems management minor, Maria Karamanos, a senior supply chain and information systems major and information systems management minor, Reilly McCarthy, a senior supply chain and information systems major, and Emma Scott, a junior supply chain and information systems major and information systems management minor each received a $7,500 scholarship. Smeal dominated the scholarship awards, receiving half of the eight awarded. Read the full story here.

Penn State Adds New Online Program in Project and Supply Chain Management

Penn State World Campus is offering a new online undergraduate degree that focuses on project and supply chain management. The new program comes as demand for jobs in this field is forecast to increase significantly in the next eight years.

The Bachelor of Science in Project and Supply Chain Management is a 120-credit program that provides students with skills and knowledge to effectively manage projects, programs, and supply chains. Read the full story here.

John Coyle, Pioneer of Penn State Business Logistics Leaves Enduring Legacy

The Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems and the Center for Supply Chain Research lost a pillar of our community when our founder, Dr. John J. Coyle, passed in January. Dr. Coyle joined our faculty in 1961 and was instrumental in the development of the business logistics and transportation programs. He served as the CSCR executive director from 1989 to 2000 as well as director of corporate relations from 2000 until 2010. Not only was Dr. Coyle a transformational leader in the education space, but his legacy has profoundly impacted countless students, colleagues, and the foundation of supply chain at Smeal. Read more about John Coyle here.

NASPO Scholarship Recipients

The Center for Supply Chain Research (CSCR) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) Scholarship. Nicholas Marcolongo and McKenna Fritz, both Penn State Smeal College of Business supply chain students, have been selected based on their academic excellence and interest in a career in public procurement. Read more about the NASPO Scholarship recipients here.