On a smaller planet and in a world where moving goods to market can be a maze of high fuel costs, challenged infrastructures, indistinct brands, and compounded security concerns, getting there is no longer half the fun.
All of which puts even more of a spotlight on one of the top 10 public universities in the country for teaching supply chain management and logistics. That's the 2007 ranking given the College of Business Administration's program by U.S. New and World Report along with a No. 2 ranking from Supply Chain Management Review, the industry's lead publication for executives.
According to Sarah Gardial, associate dean of academic programs, "These rankings are an excellent reflection of the quality of our students, faculty, curriculum, research agenda, and real-world expertise."
Suggestive of the overall real-world knowledge that Dr. Gardial references is the career of John T. (Tom) Mentzer, Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business in the Department of Marketing and Logistics. In addition to his acknowledgement as the outstanding marketing teacher of the year by the Academy of Marketing Science, Dr. Mentzer has served as a consultant for over 100 corporations and government agencies, as well as authoring eight books and, at one point, working for General Motors Corporation.
In the end, what Tom Mentzer and his esteemed colleagues bring to the classroom is a brilliant mix of collaborative research, systems analysis, and in-the-trenches industry experience that colors theoretical discussions with the fabric of story.
These woven-in anecdotes from companies as diverse as Procter & Gamble and Hallmark lend teaching about "sales forecasting" and "psychometrics" the vitality of contemporary business life and contribute to UT's leadership in redefining the art of commerce.
For more information about supply chain management and logistics and the UT College of Business Administration, visit the links below:
