By Gabe Marshall
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State’s Center for Supply Chain Research (CSCR) within the Smeal College of Business recently announced that Susan Purdum, associate teaching professor of supply chain management, has been appointed a co-director of research for CSCR. Purdum joins Hui Zhao, professor of supply chain management and a co-director since 2022. She succeeds Brent Moritz who served in the same capacity from 2022 to mid-2024.
Source: Penn State Smeal College of Business
Purdum has been with Smeal for 24 years, serving 12 of those years as the administrative director of CSCR before joining the Supply Chain and Information Systems Department in 2011. Currently, Purdum works to prepare students for careers in supply chain through business application, scenario planning, problem analysis tools, and adopting an end-to-end perspective.
Prior to Penn State, Purdum spent two decades in industry, with roles at Avery Dennison Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, and The Hershey Company spanning several specializations including engineering, manufacturing, and customer logistics for consumer products, medical devices, and consulting.
“When I made the career switch from industry to academia, CSCR was the perfect entry point into a business school as the center connects industry with faculty and students, Purdum said. “Many corporations that support CSCR enjoy access to research talent and submit initiatives for student and faculty engagement. I’m pleased to help orchestrate this research and these connections on behalf of the center.”