John Macdonald

Immediately after taking an entry-level business class and being introduced to a logistics professor at Iowa State University, John Macdonald knew supply chain was for him, and he hasn’t questioned his choice since. Originally from Iowa, Macdonald has experienced his fair share of global supply chains when he and his wife moved to Singapore.

He worked in various supply chain positions for companies like Naigai Nitto, a worldwide logistics provider, and UTi Worldwide, which provided him with the opportunity to travel around Southeast Asia and serve as a supply chain solutions architect. He dealt with various strategic supply chain issues from network design, rain, civil wars, power outages, to dealing with elephants in the road in Asian countries.

Macdonald moved back to the United States when his first child was born and started pursuing his Ph.D. while consulting in his spare time. Teaching seemed like the next best step after creating training programs and instructing managers within his company about the fundamentals and concepts of supply chain management. With his passion for supply chain, he discovered that working at a university allowed him the opportunity to teach as well grow professionally through in-depth research projects.

Macdonald earned his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and was in the Supply Chain Management Program at Michigan State for seven years before arriving at the College of Business at Colorado State this fall where he teaches Advanced Logistics.

His initial research passion was supply chain disruptions which came from working for Lion Breweries in Sri Lanka as a consultant. While there, he designed transportation management solutions and noticed there were frequent disruptions, ranging from power outages and monsoon rains to elephants or insurgent militia obstructing the road.

He became fascinated with discovering how companies thrive in these disruptive environments, and finding ways for them to become more resilient. His other research focus is behavioral operations, due to his passion for people, their decisions, and helping companies succeed when curve balls are thrown their way.

As a teacher, Macdonald is driven to spark passion within his students and enjoys working within a collegial environment with faculty who enjoy each other and are motivated by their work. He sees potential for growth within the supply chain concentration and is focusing on providing great networking and a hands-on experience to his students.

Zac Rogers

Zac Rogers, a recent Ph.D. graduate from Arizona State University, joined the Department of Management as an assistant professor this fall. He is currently teaching Supply Chain Management.

Rogers has spoken at various professional conferences for purchasing and is an active member in ISM, the Institute for Supply Chain Managers. These networking opportunities have allowed him to keep in touch with business professionals to bring real-world stories into the classroom, while also focusing on his research.

Rogers’ research provides him with immense knowledge of emerging supply chain concepts that translate into his teaching so the students benefit directly. Companies are very interested in his work on cyber security and the sharing economy. In addition, he is currently researching social and sustainable responsibility within supply chain and determining how the stock markets and firm values are impacted by supply chain sustainability issues.

Supply Chain has always been a staple in Rogers’ life. His father was a Supply Chain Management professor at the University of Nevada and he can recall helping with the Beer Game (a supply chain simulation) when he was only five years old. He has always believed people should have an understanding of supply chain so that business interactions can be uniform and cohesive.

Ultimately, Rogers hopes to impact student’s lives and careers positively and add value to their education and ultimately, the supply chain industry. With his previous work experience managing teams of 40+ employees at Quidsi, a subsidiary of Amazon, he has gained strong communication skills and is great at facilitating discussions.