Penn State Supply Chain Podcast

This episode dives into the dynamic work of recruiting, specifically the important relationship between recruiters and universities. Jessica Lane, Manager of University Relations for GXO Logistics, joins the podcast to discuss the vital role the talent pipeline plays in shaping businesses and the supply chain industry at large. About Jessica Lane is the Manager of University Relations & TA Programs for GXO Logistics. She excels at establishing and managing meaningful relationships with universities, faculty, and candidates to build brand awareness and attract top talent for GXO's early career opportunities. Jess's dedication and passion for helping young talent explore careers in operations and distribution have allowed her to become an expert in her field. She is thankful to her mentors who have helped to guide and form her excitement for early career recruiting. Jess excels in leadership, customer service, relationship building and project management by being a team player with an outgoing and positive demeanor. She has a proven history of delivering quality results in a fast-paced environment. Curiosity and a drive for learning has helped Jess navigate her career over the past 20 years. Jessica holds bachelor's degree from Malone University where she majored in Business Administration and earned a minor in Finance. Jess lives near Cleveland, OH and enjoys yoga, reading, hiking, live music and spending as much time as possible outdoors. A true animal lover, Jess shares her home with her cat Demy and rescue dog Ted.

In honor of Neurodiversity Acceptance Month, we are pleased to welcome Natalia Lyckowski back to the podcast! Nat is the Global Neurodiversity Advancement Leader, and Supply Chain Inventory Transformation Lead at IBM and she joined us previously on season two of the podcast. We are happy to have her back to share more about neurodiversity and answer a few questions that came in from supply chain students at the Penn State Smeal College of Business. About Proudly neurodivergent (ND) and parent of an autistic IT Professional, Nat enables businesses to see the value in embracing ND talent to attain highly skilled and dedicated professionals that may otherwise be overlooked. 1:20 individuals are ND and 1:50 are autistic. This talent pool brings 32% new skills, 66% higher job loyalty, and more, improving corporate citizenship and revenue. Nat has driven culture change, improving trust and allyship through: Global Acceptance Training across >30 Countries Speaking Engagements >10,000 Audience Youth Self-Advocacy Initiatives > 2,500 Audience Safe-spaceThink Tanks to ensure representation >300 Members Nat is also experienced with intersectionality across PWD/PWDA, LGBT+, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and other identity groups. Nat is also a Business Transformation Leader with IBM for over 25 years.

In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education and military training, partnerships between academic institutions and the armed forces have become increasingly crucial. Penn State has one such partnership with the Marine Corps in the form of a fellowship program. Today we are joined by Lieutenant Colonel Michael ‘Adam' Taylor and Major Sean O'Rourke to discuss Penn State's Marines Corps Logistics Fellowship Program and how it has honed their professional skillsets and helps support their military strategies for agile supply chains.   About Guest(s) Lieutenant Colonel Michael “Adam” Taylor Lieutenant Colonel Taylor attended the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. After graduation, he attended Officer's Candidate Course in Quantico, VA and was commissioned to Second Lieutenant in March 2005. Lieutenant Colonel Taylor's education includes: Officer Candidate School, The Basic School, Ground Supply Officer's Course, Combined Logistics Captains Career Course, Air Force Command and Staff College, Logistics Support to Sensitive Activities, U.S. Navy Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape School, Finnish Defence Forces Civil Military Cooperation Course, Theater Special Operations Command Course, Recruiter Management Course, and the UNC LogTech Advanced course.  Most recently, from June 2021 to June 2023, LtCol Taylor served as the Commanding Officer of Combat Logistics Battalion 2 in Camp Lejeune, NC. During his tenure, his command participated in cold-weather exercises in Norway, Sweden, Bridgeport Ca, and deployed to Quantico, VA to set up a sustainment camp and provide all logistical support for 5,000 Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule in 2021. After relinquishing command in June 2023, LtCol Taylor reported to Pennsylvania State University as a Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow to pursue a Master in Science in Supply Chain Management. Major Sean O'Rourke Major Sean O'Rourke is a Logistics Officer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota.  Over his 15 years of active service, he has served in command and staff positions in all elements of the MAGTF, including two combat deployments to Helmand Province Afghanistan and a sea tour in the Pacific.  His previous Fleet Marine Force units include 1st Battalion, 8th Marines; the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit; 3d Maintenance Battalion; and Marine Aircraft Group 26; serving as a Company Commander and Group Executive Officer. His logistics billets include Maintenance Management Officer, Motor Transport Officer, S-4A, S-4, and Intermediate Maintenance Company Commander.  In the Supporting Establishment, he served as a Faculty Advisor, Academics Officer, and Company Commander at Logistics Operations School and Officer Candidates School. He is currently attending Penn State as a Marine Corps Logistics Fellow.

Get a first hand look at how corporate sponsors of the Center for Supply Chain Research use their partnership with Penn State and the center to gain a competitive advantage. Brenda Berg, Supply Chain Project Leader for IBM Systems, and Lianne McPherson, Global Operations Organizational Integration and Enablement Leader for IBM, join the podcast to discuss ways they have used their member benefits in terms of IBM's business strategy, employee advancement, and more. About Brenda Berg Brenda leads the development of supply chain management systems, consults on supply chain disruption strategies and resiliency planning, while driving employee up-skilling initiatives.​ She has broad and deep supply chain knowledge with over 30 years of operations and transformation experience. Brenda has delivered supply chain solutions in areas of product announce planning to product end of life, inventory management, supplier relationships, Business Partner relationships, contract management, business controls, cost management and financial impacts.  Her strong project management and Agile skills along with IT Application knowledge makes her a valuable resource to the Supply Chain industry.  As an Adjunct Faculty member, she enjoyed sharing her experience and knowledge with college students.​ Brenda has an MBA degree from Winona State University.  She has also earned a plethora of certifications, including First Plateau Inventor/IBM, Project Management Profession (PMP)/Project Management Institute, and various Agile certifications. At home in Minnesota, Brenda enjoys spending her weekends with family and friends at their lake home. Lianne McPherson Over 20 years Supply Chain and Leadership experience, Lianne has held and managed roles in various business areas across the supply chain including:  Distribution Operations, Global Logistics, Finance, Inventory Management, Business Controls, Sourcing and Supplier Relationship.  Through-out her tenure, Lianne's passion continues to be leadership and the development of others through collaboration and mentorship. She is the Co-Chair of WING Canada (Women in IBM Networking Group) connecting women to the resources and employee groups that broaden their network and align to their values. Leading 9 chapters and 24 women across the country in creating spaces and moments of impact championing for the women's community, allies and other business resource groups.  From a Supply Chain perspective Lianne is currently responsible for amplifying our IBM Supply Chain  Communications, Skills and Eminence.  She is the Program Manager for the Supply Chain Engagement Squads initiatives and actions.  Beyond her professional achievements, Lianne has an active family life of sports and enjoys taking some time for herself exploring nearby hiking trials.

Today our host dive deep into a topic that's at the intersection of business ethics, the environment, and social responsibility – Environmental, Social, and Governance, or ESG, standards in supply chain management. In today's globalized world, supply chains are the lifeblood of business operations, connecting products and services to consumers worldwide. But the question we're asking today is this: How can businesses ensure that their supply chains not only deliver profits but also uphold their ethical and environmental responsibilities? We are joined by Sophia Schuster, a recent MBA and Master's in Supply Chain Management graduate of the Penn State Smeal College of Business. About Sophia Schuster, who holds an MBA and a Master's in Supply Chain Management from Penn State's Smeal College of Business, has a diverse background in the retail and education sector. Propelled by a desire to understand the impact of the way we communicate, combined with her personal interest in sustainability topics, Sophia sought to look more closely at firm ESG behavior and how that behavior is conveyed to the public. In her Master's paper, Sophia explored the importance of procurement in setting and upholding firm ESG standards and the saturated market of ESG ratings indices that firms use to gauge their progress, between which is a misalignment that calls into question the value of the ESG ratings industry to firms' internal and external stakeholders. 

Learn more about the role of rail in the supply chain with our latest episode featuring a true industry expert, Jim Pang, Vice President of New Services Development and Innovations at Trinity Rail. In this episode, we explore the pivotal role of rail transportation in the modern supply chain landscape. From cost-effective solutions to sustainability benefits, Jim offers insights into how rail networks drive efficiency and strategic advantages of integrating rail into your supply chain.  About Jim has worked in both rail operations and rail car manufacturing. He has led strategic transformations from ideation and innovation road mapping to scaling proven disruptive solutions resulting in enhanced profitability and increased customer stickiness. Transformation initiatives have ranged from Trinsight, a next-gen Shipment Visibility, Exception, and Assist platform; Last Mile industry initiative (AIM); Mobile RailPASS app; Machine Vision Inventory Management; to Touchless Automated Gate system. Jim has a passion for creating extraordinary customer experiences.

Advances in supply chain technology continue to transform businesses worldwide. Paula Natoli, Director, Supply Chain & Logistics Industry Solutions for Google Cloud, joins the Penn State Supply Chain Podcast to discuss the latest tech advancements and trends shaping the supply chain industry – specifically innovations at Google Cloud. About Paula Natoli leads Google Cloud's Supply Chain & Logistics Industry Solutions for the North America and Latin America regions, partnering with customers to deliver exceptional customer satisfaction through supply chain excellence. Prior to joining Google Cloud in 2020, Natoli spent the last 23 years in enterprise supply chain software with Blue Yonder (formerly known as JDA Software) where she most recently served in leadership roles within the product management organization. Natoli is a Penn State graduate and a former CSCR Advisory Board member.

Research is vital to identifying organizational challenges and discovering long-term innovation in supply chain models. The Center for Supply Chain Research is committed to advancing the field of supply chain through relevant research and ever-evolving expertise. Brent Moritz and Hui Zhao, Co-Research Directors for CSCR, join us to share more about how the center accomplished that goal. Moritz and Zhao are professors at the Penn State Smeal College of Business in the Supply Chain and Information Systems Department. About Hui Zhao is a professor of supply chain management and a Charles and Lilian Binder Faculty Fellow. Zhao's research applies analytics to the healthcare systems with interests in pharmaceutical supply chains, public policy, and innovative design of healthcare systems. Most of her work looks at the incentive misalignment in the healthcare value chain, seeking solutions to resolve such problems. Her work has been published in the top journals in her field and has received multiple awards including a finalist for the prestigious Pierskalla award by INFORMS in 2015, the runner-up for the Ralph Gomory Best Industry Studies Paper Award by the Industry Studies Association (ISA) in 2018, winner of the SCOR innovation award from Smeal/Penn State in 2018, and finalist for the Industry Studies Dissertation award for her PhD student in 2020. In addition to academic contributions, her work also seeks to help government agencies and industry to make informed decisions. Zhao is also actively involved with industry consortiums such as Xavier Health's Artificial Intelligence Applications in Healthcare Initiative. Brent B. Moritz is an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management. Brent earned his PhD from the Operations and Management Science Department of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He also holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Valparaiso University and an MBA (concentrations in Finance and Entrepreneurship) from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Prior to obtaining his PhD, Brent held positions in operations and supply chain management at BorgWarner, Eaton and Parker Hannifin. This also included international experience working in Mexico, England and Germany.  

Organizations are always looking to improve their supply chains, whether it's to prepare for future disruptions, improve the bottom line, or outpace competitors. Anthony Roath, assistant professor of supply chain management in the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University, joins us to discuss how emerging technologies will affect future supply chains. About Anthony Roath focuses on understanding how supply chain networks respond to global environments. This study approach explores the interaction of companies as they react to and work with each other to compete and develop sustainable mechanisms, such as technology and innovation. The foundation to this research is grounded in logistics and international business research and practice; the findings and insight from these research studies have been published in outlets including: The Journal of Business Logistics (earning two paper of the year awards) and the Journal of International Business Studies. Subsequent research in these areas have expanded into interest in supply chain sustainability, which was enabled with a Fulbright Scholarship in the United Kingdom and a subsequent grant to help establish a study of supply chain efficiency with a large UK retailer. Prior to academia, Roath served in the Air Force and in the private sector in management consulting. These experiences are applied to the classroom to help impress upon the students the need to develop a broad understanding of global supply chain challenges to companies and communities and the important role of critical decision-making to help navigate challenges and explore opportunities.  

With the United States potentially facing an economic downturn, a recession is a looming topic surfacing in many offices, boardrooms, and hallway conversations. Charles Whiteman, the John and Karen Arnold Dean of the Smeal College of Business, shares his economic expertise with us and discusses what the effects of economic uncertainty could mean for business leaders and the supply chain. About  The Dean of the Penn State Smeal College of Business oversees all aspects of one of the largest business schools in the nation. Smeal offers highly ranked programs to more than 5,000 students at all levels; supports the research activities of faculty members in six academic departments; is home to a network of leading research centers in business and features an alumni network of more than 95,000 Smeal graduates around the world.    Dean Whiteman, who has more than 32 years of experience in higher education and business, assumed the leadership position at Smeal in July 2012. Prior to joining Penn State, he was senior associate dean for the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa, where he was responsible for undergraduate and graduate degree programs; faculty and staff recruitment; promotion, and tenure; budgetary operations; college facilities; technology operations; and strategic planning for the business school.    During a career that began as an instructor at Iowa in 1980, Whiteman advanced through the faculty ranks to become a chaired professor and served in a variety of administrative roles including chair of the Department of Economics, director of the Institute for Economic Research, and interim dean.    Whiteman holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Kansas. He has conducted research that has been supported by several grants from the National Science Foundation, published dozens of academic papers, written two books, and served as associate editor of several economics' journals. He has also advised the state of Iowa's Department of Management on economic issues and served as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Banks of Kansas City, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Minneapolis. 

Natalia Lyckowski is the Global Neurodiversity Advancement Leader and Supply Chain Inventory Transformation Lead at IBM. With over 26 years of experience, Nat brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into the emergence of a neurodivergent IBM and embracing neurodivergent talent in your workplace. Resources: Watch: What is it like to be Neurodivergent at IBM Watch: ND@IBM YouTube Playlist Read: Forbes Article Read: Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable External IBM PWDA https://www.ibm.com/impact/be-equal/communities/diversability/ https://newsroom.ibm.com/Neurodiversity-IBM About Proudly neurodivergent (ND) and parent of an autistic IT Professional, Nat enables businesses to see the value in embracing ND talent to attain highly skilled and dedicated professionals that may otherwise be overlooked. 1:20 individuals are ND and 1:50 are autistic. This talent pool brings 32% new skills, 66% higher job loyalty, and more, improving corporate citizenship and revenue.  Nat has driven culture change, improving trust and allyship through:   Global Acceptance Training across >30 Countries  Speaking Engagements >10,000 Audience  Youth Self-Advocacy Initiatives > 2,500 Audience  Safe-spaceThink Tanks to ensure representation >300 Members  Nat is also experienced with intersectionality across PWD/PWDA, LGBT+, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and other identity groups. Nat is also a Business Transformation Leader with IBM for over 25 years.   

Identifying talent, creating long-lasting relationships with employees, and building a solid company culture are essential to any organization. This month, Charlie Saffro, President and Founder of CS Recruiting, joins the CSCR Podcast to speak on empowering others, the interconnectedness of recruitment and retention, and how she has used personal experiences to help other companies grow. About Charlie has over 14 years of direct recruiting experience within the Logistics, Transportation and Supply Chain space and started CS Recruiting from the ground up over a decade ago. Today, she leads a team of over 40 and manages a multi-million dollar organization. As the President and Founder of CS Recruiting, she focuses on making meaningful connections to empower others to discover their full potential. Charlie has worked with many small to medium-sized businesses, as well as with Fortune 50 companies to help them identify the right talent for their organizational needs. Clients have included Third Party Logistics providers (3PL's), Asset Based providers, Shippers (Manufacturers and Distributors) and Vendors to the industry (transportation technology/fleet solutions). CS Recruiting's goal is to partner with clients and candidates to develop long-lasting relationships and make appropriate and time sensitive career matches. Charlie's team of dedicated recruiters have experience filling positions of all levels; including C Level and Executive positions, Management roles and Independent Contributor seats. Charlie is a dedicated yogi and encourages her clients and team to practice mindfulness in the workplace and beyond. She is also the mother of three boys and active in her community, volunteering with organizations to help women in the workforce.   

It is anything but business as usual for supply chain organizations today. In this month's episode, Steve and Irv talk with Chris Caplice, Executive Director of MIT's Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL), about how new technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are being leveraged to work in concert with humans to help companies create smarter supply chains. Chris discusses his professional and academic experiences in transportation logistics and the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and supply chain. Dr. Caplice serves as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL) where he is responsible for the planning and management of the research, education, and corporate outreach programs for the center. He created and currently serves as Director of the MITx MicroMaster's Program in Supply Chain Management – the very first MicroMasters credential ever offered.  Since its inception in 2015, more than 430,000 students from 196 different countries have participated in these online courses and more than 45,000 Verified Certificates have been awarded.  A total of 2,976 MicroMasters credentials have been awarded to date.  Dr. Caplice was selected as the first Silver Family Research Fellow in 2016 in recognition of his contribution to supply chain education and research.  Also in 2016, he received the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Distinguished Service Award.   

Supply chains improve by leveraging the newest technologies and latest trends. The use of automation technology and robotics has emerged in recent years as a staple for modern organizations seeking to improve supply chain their processes, resilience, efficiency. Jeff Cashman, a Senior Executive Leader in Technology and Leadership, joins our hosts to explain automation's role in the supply chain and the innovative and use-case of robotics.  Jeff Cashman is a senior supply chain leaders with extensive experiences in business development, strategy, and international marketing. Most recently Cashman served as Chief Business Officer for GreyOrange, a global technology company unifying AI-driven software and mobile robotics to modernize order fulfillment and optimize warehouse operations in real time.

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has contributed to new innovations in a number of industries and its popularity continues to grow. This month's CSCR Supply Chain Podcast guest is Tim Simpson, the Paul Morrow Professor in Engineering Design and Manufacturing at Penn State. Tim highlights the emergence of additive manufacturing in the business world and how organizations can benefit from incorporating it into their operations and strategies.----more---- Tim Simpson is the Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design & Manufacturing, Co-founder of the world's first Additive Manufacturing & Design Graduate Program, and Co-Director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D) at Penn State. He specializes in new product development and Design for Additive Manufacturing, and he has helped educate and train nearly 1000 industry practitioners to use metal additive manufacturing while advising more than a dozen start-ups in the industry. He contributes a monthly column on “Additive Insights” to Modern Machine Shop, and he is an Educational Advisor for The Barnes Group Advisors, a team of experts helping industrialize additive manufacturing. 

Developing an agile culture allows an organization to transform business processes, bolster innovation, and better serve its team members and constituents. Galen Smith, Digital Supply Chain Transformation Leader at IBM, joins us to discuss ways to implement organizational change, including creating an agile culture and empowering individuals across the supply chain to grow and develop their skills. Alongside our hosts, Smith outlines how IBM has engrained agile practices into their core foundations, why it's important to do so, and how adopting this mindset can drive change in the field of supply chain.----more---- Galen Smith is an accelerator of transformation in IBM's AI-enabled supply chain where she utilizes design thinking and cutting-edge technology to generate change. She is an IBM certified Consulting Supply Chain Management Professional who hold patents in the supply chain processes. Smith is a speaker at supply chain summits and conferences on AI, Blockchain, and Design Thinking and has published several articles on innovation and supply chain agility. She earned her MBA from Duke and her bachelor's in Industrial Engineering for Georgia Institute of Technology.

Seamless supply chain collaboration is key to effective supply chain management and essential in business resilience. During today's episode, supply chain professionals will learn more about the importance of stakeholder collaboration in achieving supply chain sustainability. Tune in to hear from Niki King, Head of Sustainability at Unilever, North America – a CSCR corporate sponsor. Niki shares provides insight into how the multinational consumer goods company is innovating in the space of sustainability and tips for those seeking to level up their supply chain sustainability.----more---- Niki King is the Head of Sustainability for Unilever North America. In her role, she is responsible for ensuring the development and implementation of North America roadmaps for Unilever's Sustainable Business Strategy, the Compass, commitments. She also partners with Unilever's customers to develop collaborative partnerships to deliver on mutual sustainability goals.  In addition, she works with Unilever North America brands to guide their sustainability and purpose activation.  She earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences, a master's degree in business management, and a certificate in organizational leadership from Thomas Edison State University.

This month we are joined by Dr. Bob Novack, CSCR Director of Student Research and Outreach and Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at the Penn State Smeal College of Business. During this episode, supply chain professionals will receive insights and tips about talent management from the perspective of a seasoned college professor interacting with top-tier talent daily. Dr. Novack and our hosts discuss what he's discovered regarding ways companies can stand out in a crowd, challenges in recruitment, and strategies for how to best connect with students.----more---- Dr. Novack is currently the CSCR Director of Student Research and Student Outreach and Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at the Penn State Smeal College of Business. From 1979 to 1981, Novack worked in Operations and planning for the Yellow Freight Corporation in Overland park, KS. From 1981 to 1984, Novack worked for the Drackett Company in Cincinnati, OH. He is the co-author of two textbooks: Transportation (with John Coyle and Ed Bardi), and Creating Logistics Value: Themes for the Future (with Lloyd Rinehart and John Langley). He has published numerous articles in the Journal of Business Logistics and the Transportation Journal, among others. Novack is a member of AST&L, CLM, and WERC.

Choice modeling focuses on the way that we make decisions. This month, Penn State Supply Chain Podcast hosts Steve and Irv speak to Aydin Alptekinoglu, Director of Research of CSCR, about the importance of choice modeling and how it relates to demand. When looking at aspects such as variety, pricing, and availability, demand can be traced to indicate customer interaction with a company compared to competitors. Dr. Alptekinoglu explains the process of identifying discrete individual choices to create demand models for physical products or services used by many companies today.----more---- Aydin Alptekinoğlu is a professor of supply chain management at Smeal College of Business, Robert G. Schwartz University Endowed Fellow in Business Administration, and Director of Research of the Center for Supply Chain Research. He received his PhD in Operations Management from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 2004. Prior to joining Smeal in 2013, he held faculty positions at University of Florida and Southern Methodist University. His broad research interests involve three elements of product strategy: variety, price, and availability.

Our hosts Steve Tracey and Irv Grossman with the help of Shaye Brotherton, will explore pandemic-related implications on the workforce. Listeners will learn more about what industry leader LMI has found regarding challenges in shifting culture and engagement, recruitment and attrition, and navigating unintentional inequities created by the changing landscape. The panel discusses best practices and actionable behaviors that supply chain professionals can use in this new accelerated hybrid workforce. Shaye has a Bachelor's of Science in biology and computer science from Duke University, a Master's of Business Administration with a strategy concentration from the London Business School, and is currently working on a doctorate in human and organizational learning from George Washington University's Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD). She is a PMI-certified project management professional and Scrum Alliance-certified scrum master, and she holds additional certificates in Prosci Change Management, HCI Strategic Workforce Planning, Luma Human Centered Design Facilitation, and Harvard's Continuing Education certificate in Strategy & Innovation.

Supply chains of today continue to change and evolve quickly. This month, Penn State Supply Chain Podcast hosts Steve and Irv welcome John Coyle, the first person to teach a course at Penn State under the label "Business Logistics," to discuss how supply chains have adapted and how they may continue to change in the future. Dr. Coyle joined the Penn State faculty in 1961 and has seen the field morph from Business Logistics to the intricate supply chain we see today. He provides our audience and hosts with insights into how teaching supply chain has changed drastically over his expansive career, how new graduates are preparing differently for the field of supply chain, and how their preparation could change in the future. ----more---- John J. Coyle served as Executive Director of the Center for Supply Chain Research® (CSCR®) from 1989 until 2000. He currently is the Director of Corporate Relations for CSCR and Professor Emeritus of Business Administration. His many career highlights include 12 college and university awards for outstanding teaching and advising. In 2001, he received the Distinguished Lions Paw Award for outstanding service to the University. He received the Council of Logistics Management's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, in 1991. For 30 years Dr. Coyle served as the faculty athletic representative to the NCAA and the Big Ten for Penn State (1970-2000). He served as Special Assistant for Strategic Planning to the President of Penn State University from 1983 to 1986 and from 1989 to 1991. During 1982 to 1987 he served as Assistant Dean and Director of the Undergraduate Program, and from 1987 to 1989, as Associate Dean in The Smeal College of Business Administration at Penn State. Coyle has also chaired many University-wide committees and served as chairman of the Faculty Senate. Dr. Coyle has written more than 100 publications and provided in-house educational programs for more than 300 companies.

Blockchain is an emergent technology primed to create more transparent, sustainable, and cost-efficient business processes. This month, Penn State Supply Chain Podcast hosts welcome Henry Ines, CEO and co-founder of Chainparency, to discuss the trending topic of blockchains. Henry provides keen insights about the tenets and uses of blockchain, sharing, “With any blockchain, you're really talking about security, the level of scalability, and the level of decentralization – these are three critical aspects of a blockchain technology.” Henry and our hosts discuss why blockchain is such an important emerging technology for supply chain, the decision points to consider when organizations are thinking about implementing blockchain services as a business solution, and the future of this novel technology.----more---- Henry Ines has over 20 years of professional experiences as a global executive, former VC, advisor, and tech entrepreneur. He is the CEO and co-founder of Chainparency, a technology startup and developer of GoTrace: the first true, turnkey SaaS blockchain traceability solution for any organization regardless of size or budget. Ines also continues to serve on the Steering Committee of the GoChain Foundation, the developer of the GoChain blockchain: a highly scalable, enterprise-grade, 100% Ethereum-compatible, and "green" blockchain protocol based on GoChain's novel "Proof of Reputation" consensus mechanism; and to advance various GoChain blockchain-based initiatives to include the recently established Zeromint NFT Marketplace.

This month we are joined by Natalie Jaworski, Vice President, Procurement Citizenship at Johnson & Johnson. Natalie shares about the ways Johnson & Johnson has successfully established and embedded global SD&I efforts into their organization's procurement processes. These efforts are supported by Johnson & Johnson's Procurement Citizenship team, led by Natalie. As a lesser known term, she defines as procurement citizenship as encompassing, “…global supplier diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, human rights in the supply base, and supplier risk.” Throughout the episode, hosts Steve Tracey and Irv Grossman and our guest discuss the future of SD&I, health for humanity, social justice, and next steps for furthering development and growth.----more---- Natalie Jaworski's 22-year career with Johnson & Johnson has included various roles across Supply Chain and Procurement, in both the Consumer sector and at the Enterprise level. A dynamic and servant leader, she thrives on leading diverse teams to successfully achieve results they never thought possible. Currently, Natalie has the honor of leading J&J's Procurement Citizenship agenda, which focuses on managing risk and protecting their reputation through their ever-growing supply base.  Supplier Sustainability, Supplier Diversity and Inclusion, and Supplier Risk are managed by her team on behalf of the enterprise, making them a significant contributor to Johnson & Johnson's publicly-facing Health for Humanity goals. Natalie graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in Business Logistics.  Since joining Johnson & Johnson, she has worked cross-functionally and globally, through various roles in Customer Service, Logistics Analytics & Strategy, Commercial Procurement, Supplier Management, Category Management and Supply Chain Procurement.

This month's guest, Rakhi Agarwal, Franchise Engagement Leader at Johnson and Johnson's Janssen Supply Chain, shares that, "The right pool of talent can only come if you build diversity into the fabric and DNA of the organization."  While most supply chain organization's recognize the value and importance of diversity among supply chain talent, how to build a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion can be less clear.  Rakhi shares advice for organizations who wish to start, build, and maintain a culture that leverages diversity.  She shares how we can all become agents of change and how our personal commitment to DEI can translate into change across the enterprise.  Rakhi also shares how diversity fosters change, growth and innovation and how these areas have a critical impact on the success of the enterprise.  Rakhi also introduces DISCOVER, a cross-industry organization featuring a network of supply chain professionals dedicated to the shared aspiration of building bridges and breaking down barriers for people of color.  ----more---- Rakhi Agarwal is Franchise Engagement Leader, at JNJ in Janssen Supply Chain. She is a visionary sourcing & supply chain leader with proven track record of almost two decades of rich industry experiences. Rakhi joined J&J in Dec 2018 and has been leveraging her expertise in supply chain, distribution and sourcing gained through diversified roles in her career with companies like AMRI, Merck & Bristol Myers Squibb. Rakhi has an MBA in Operations Management from the University of Southern Indiana and an undergraduate degree in Supply Chain Management from Eli Broad Business School at Michigan State University. Rakhi is also a very active member and volunteer at the prestigious Drugs Chemicals and Associated Technologies (DCAT) for the last seven years. Recently, as chair of the sourcing and procurement task force at DCAT, she has been instrumental in driving the educational program content for the Pharma industry. Rakhi is a thought leader and has numerous articles on negotiation and risk management published in the Inside Supply Management Magazine. She has also been featured in the Inside Supply Management Magazine in Oct 2017 publication.    

In this week's episode, Steve Tracey welcomes Dan Guide,, Smeal Chaired Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management.  Dan shares on overview of closed loop supply chains, contrasting them with traditional forward supply chains and sharing exemplars of companies who have achieved both economic and environmental sustainability, some of whom pioneered techniques they've practiced for decades.  Dan and Steve discuss the three R's in the context of procurement and discuss how servicization, when integrated with a firm's business model, can drive both profits and environmental gains.  Our guest wraps up with some tips for how procurement professionals can integrate sustainability into their business processes.   

With news of progress in the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, attention now focuses on last mile distribution to get shots in arms.  In the words of one of this month's guests, we're witness to the "largest new product launch in human history."  This launch challenges vaccine supply chains in unprecedented ways and has required supply chain leaders to forge new partnerships across public and private sectors to keep pace with demand.  In this week's episode, our hosts Steve Tracey and Irv Grossman and our guests discuss the monumental task of scaling the supply chain for mass vaccinations, break down some of the complexities around where we stand now, discuss lessons learned during the vaccine rollout thus far, and preview the road ahead. In this episode, we welcome two expert guests from the MITRE Corporation: Cynthia K. Hansen, PhD is a Senior Principal for Biosecurity and Equity in the Health Federally Funded Research & Development Center (FFRDC) operated by the MITRE Corporation. She leads efforts to accelerate COVID-19 response & recovery, strengthen global health security and expand relationships with agency missions aligned with the biosecurity and equity objectives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Taylor Wilkerson is a Principal Health Systems Engineer in the Health System Engineering group at MITRE Corporation. Taylor has over 20 years of experience with public and private sector supply chain improvement and engineering. His experience includes strategy, process design, system architecture and requirements, risk management, sustainability, decision support, and innovation management. He has worked with several public sector clients including HHS, VA, DoD, CDC, DOS, USAID and USDA.

In this month's episode, we're joined by Galen Smith, IBM's Supply Chain Ecosystem Leader.  Galen is an accelerator of transformation in IBM's AI-enabled supply chain utilizing design thinking, agile and cutting edge technology to generate change adoption.  Galen shares her insight on the application of design thinking to create a more agile supply chain.  Steve and Irv discuss supply chain agility and resilience, and we remember Dr. Joe Cavinato, our Penn State colleague and professor of business logistics.   

In our premiere episode, our hosts Steve Tracey and Irv Grossman introduce the Penn State Supply Chain and Information Systems Department and Center for Supply Chain Research.  We feature a discussion of the CSCR's four pillars -  research, knowledge, talent, and networking - and share some of the history of SC&IS and CSCR at Penn State.  Steve and Irv also share their views on what the media attention paid to Supply Chain throughout the COVID pandemic has meant for the discipline both now and in the future.