One of the best parts about the Smeal supply chain community is when the students’ hard work is recognized outside of campus. Five supply chain recent graduates have been awarded the 2022 MIT Supply Chain Excellence Award, a testament to their talent and supply chain expertise.
The MIT Supply Chain Excellence Award are fellowships given annually at selected universities, including Penn State, “to the most outstanding graduating senior supply chain and/or industrial engineering majors,” according to the MIT Supply Chain Management website.
These awards are game-changers for students who look to elevate their supply chain careers and earn an advanced degree. Recipients of the award earn a tuition fellowship of $25,000 towards the MIT Supply Chain Management Master’s Degree Program and Honorable Mentions receive a $10,000 tuition fellowship.
Emily Irvin, Lois Jung and Catherine Taylor earned this year’s MIT Supply Chain Excellence Award, and Jonathan Eyer and Katherine Groves received Honorable Mentions. The awardees are excited for the next chapter in their careers and have a bit to share about receiving the award, how Smeal played a role in their win, and what they plan to do with their award.
Top (L-R): Emily Irvin, Lois Jung, Catherine Taylor Bottom (L-R): Jonathan Eyer, Katherine Groves
“I love that supply chain is ever-changing,” shared Taylor. “Working in a fast paced industry creates opportunities that open new doors allowing me to discover new passions within the industry; I’ll never get bored!”
Irvin was shocked and honored when she won the award. After earning her master’s at MIT, she plans to return to Penn State to teach supply chain so she can pay it forward to future students.
“Smeal has been instrumental in my career because it provided me with knowledgeable professors, networking experiences, and the knowledge to help me perform at a high level in the industry,” Irvin said. “I am so thankful for all of the time I spent in Smeal and at Penn State.”
But Irvin isn’t the only one who wanted to give Smeal a shoutout for her supply chain skills and career trajectory. In Jung’s time with Smeal, she has been able to complete two different CSCR student research projects in logistics and procurement that were sponsored by Odyssey and LMI.
She found that the experience gave her a better understanding of supply chain in real industries and confidence in her career ambitions.
“Using this scholarship, I would like to gain experience in procurement and product development processes as well as work to develop tools that connect different branches of the supply chain through digitalized procurement,” Jung explained. “I am honored and grateful that the award gave me the incredible opportunity to grow my professional network.”
Taylor, however, is seeking a different direction upon winning the scholarship. She plans to first establish herself in the field through her employment with IBM, followed by then pursuing an advanced degree through the scholarship.
“I cannot wait to sharpen my skill set and have opportunities to grow in the field of supply chain,” she said.
The center is extremely proud of all five recent graduates and wishes each student the best of luck as they enter their respective careers and pursue advanced education to further the field of supply chain.
“At the end of the day, I love that supply chain always presents a new problem to be solved,” Irvin shared. “I am someone who loves to learn and be continually challenged and supply chain is the very field that can teach you skills you wouldn’t otherwise learn while simultaneously giving you the opportunity to apply those skills.”