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The Â鶹ֱ²¥ College of Business and Management is delighted to host you for the 2026 Supply Chain Management Directors’ Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. We look forward to welcoming scholars and practitioners from across the nation and beyond for two days of learning, networking, and collaboration.

We are proud to contribute to the collegial atmosphere that the Supply Chain Management Directors’ Conference is known for—so please mark your calendars for March 23–24, and join us to experience all that Â鶹ֱ²¥ and the Twin Cities have to offer.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Conference Program Committee for their dedication and hard work in planning and organizing this impactful and timely event. We can’t wait to see you in March.

Conference Schedule

Monday, March 23

8–9 a.m. | Breakfast and check in

9–9:15 a.m. | Welcome: Rassule Hadidi, PhD, dean, College of Business and Management

9:15–9:50 a.m. | Keynote: Leadership in Transforming Supply Chains through Education in an AI-era for a Safer, Sustainable, and Resilient Future,

9:50–10:50 a.m. | Session 1: Community/Industry Engagement and Social Mobility
Chair – Tim Adam Jaafaru, Â鶹ֱ²¥

• Panel session:
  • Venkates Ramalingam, manager GXO Logistics INC
  • William Baldus, director, Career Center, Â鶹ֱ²¥
  • Humberto Coronado, University of Maryland
• ±Ê°ù±ð²õ±ð²Ô³Ù¾±²Ô²µâ€”Rosemary Coates, Reshoring Institute

10:50–11 a.m. | Break

11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Session 2: Developing Curriculum: tools and insights
Chair – Steven Formaneck, Minnesota State University Mankato

• Presenting - Thought Leadership and Tools in Advancing Supply Chain Curriculum
  John Melbye, BecomeDemand Driven
• Presenting - Practice Insights on Developing Curriculum
  Paul D. Larson, University of Manitoba

12–1 p.m. | Lunch

1–2:40 p.m. | Session 3: Best practice in Tech and AI Engagement in SCM Education
Co-Chairs – Tracy Cheetham, Inchainge, and Queen Booker, professor, Â鶹ֱ²¥

• Panel session —
  • Shraddha Gawankar, University of South Dakota
  • Kevin McCormack, Northwood University
  • Ravindra Khokrale, Circular Edge
  • Abhijit Joshi, Deloitte Consulting LLP
  • Jayant Saraph, Â鶹ֱ²¥
• ±Ê°ù±ð²õ±ð²Ô³Ù¾±²Ô²µâ€”Industry Insights: Practical Applications of AI Tool – Case Study
  Murat Guventurk, SELCO
• Small Group Breakout Roundtable Sessions: Practical examples of using GAI in SCM teaching

2:40–2:50 p.m. | Coffee break

2:50–3:50 p.m. | Session 4: Recruiting Students into SCM programs
Co-Chairs – Raghavan Srinivasan, Â鶹ֱ²¥ and John Melbye, BecomeDemand Driven

• Panel session -
  • Young Ro, University of Michigan
  • Jake Dean, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Humberto Coronado, University of Maryland
• Presenting - Micro Credentials as a Recruiting Engine for SCM Programs: Build, Stack, and Scale
  Sarah Sengupta, St. Cloud State University

3:50–4:50 p.m. | Session 5: Assessment integrity made easy, fair and robust: Assessing in AI-era
Chair – Tanya Penny Woods, Howard University

• Presenting - David Adkins: University of Plymouth, UK
• Presenting - Kingshuk K. Sinha, University of Minnesota

4:50–5:20 p.m. | Break

5:20–7:20 p.m. | Dinner and Metro State supply chain student inaugural networking

Tuesday, March 24

8–9 a.m. | Breakfast

9–10:20 a.m. | Session 6 Opportunities in Health and Safety in Supply Chain
Chair – Barry Brewer, Brigham Young University

• Presenting - Logistics Insights
  Priya Rajaskaran, Mayo Clinic
• Presenting - Safety Training in Curriculum—Equipping Students for Career Success in Supply Chain
  Dr. Confidence Okorie MD, NHS UK

10:20–11 a.m. | Keynote: AI in Supply Chain for Leaders, Vineet Sharma, director, Saint Louis University

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Session 7: Servant Leadership: Inspiring and Leading Others for Success
Co-Chairs – Kindra Ramaker, Mayo Clinic, and Odunayo Olarewaju, Â鶹ֱ²¥

• Panel session - Community Engagement in Supply Chain Curriculum
  • Carin Lightner-Laws, Clayton State University
  • Steven Formaneck, Minnesota State University Mankato
  • Ben Neve, Weber State University
• Presenting - Best practice in Supply Chain Internship
  Cait Blair, Apple, and T.J. Schaefer, Apple
• Presenting - Servant Leadership: Inspiring and Leading Others for Success
  Rebecca Dray, executive director, Purchasing with Purpose

12:30 p.m. | Wrap up, closing, and lunch