Colorado State University

During the 2022-23 academic year, we are highlighting one Colorado State University student or alum from each of Colorado's 64 counties. The Centennial State's land grant university has a connection to the diverse lands and people from the counties of Moffat to Baca, Montezuma to Sedgwick and everywhere in between.

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[caption id="attachment_62537" align="alignleft" width="200"] Bill Shuster, Honors Capstone Instructor[/caption] The Honors Capstone partnered on a strategic project with executives from HP Workstations to create a process for mobile Workstations to penetrate the small-to-medium business sector. Teams of five were created with individuals from different concentrations. Each team was expected to solve the same problem over the course of the semester to resolve HP’s current business issue. Students were competing against the Asian Pacific Japan accelerator team from inside HP. The accelerator program is a culmination of HP's top potential young managers in the region and they have an entire year to work on what CSU students tackle in a semester. HP encourages students to excel at this project because the fresh perspectives on the issue helps HP’s strategy internally in an area of the market that provides great business opportunity. HP has partnered with the capstone course for the third semester which fits with its mission, “building innovative leaders.” At the beginning of the semester, HP executives came into Bill Shuster’s capstone class and presented the case to students. After they walked through the challenges and opportunities of the project, they turned the project over to students to do an independent analysis on the HP and Workstation system. Shortly after, students went on a site visit with the Vice President of Workstations, Josh Peterson, and other HP employees, Andrew Willard and Alan Buckner to talk more in depth about the project. Students toured the facilities, gained insight into the HP culture, and saw numerous products undergoing testing. Teams then split up to speak with different departments including, supply chain, sales, marketing, finance, etc. Within each department, questions were asked and direction was given so students could better tackle the current issue and make their solution executable. The value for HP is in the approach students take to dive into the problem. HP leverages the intellect of students and provides the chance to gain real-life experience. Students are learning how interactions in the corporate world work, and for many this is their first experience in a business setting. The skills utilized in this project are a compilation of knowledge they have learned in the College of Business.  

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Dear alumni and friends of the Management Department, [caption id="attachment_62504" align="alignleft" width="200"] Lynn Shore, Professor and Chair of the Management Department, College of Business[/caption] We are very happy to bring you news about the department. We have so many great activities to highlight, and we are proud of the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students. My four years as department chair have been exciting and fulfilling. I want to update you on our management concentrations. The enrollments in our three concentrations in Management reached 375 in Organization and Innovation Management, 130 in Supply Chain Management, and 90 in Human Resource Management. We are very pleased to provide these concentrations, as these diverse options support the varied interests and career paths of our students. Students are also enrolling in our certificate programs. The popular, Entrepreneurship Certificate is designed for students both in the College of Business and across campus. This certificate allows us to support our undergraduate entrepreneurs, interested in starting a new venture, sustainability and new venture development, creativity and innovation, and business plan development. We are launching a new program this Spring: an entrepreneurship minor. This will interest many more students, from all concentrations, in our entrepreneurship curriculum. Our courses will now be populated by business students and their entrepreneurial peers from a wide variety of majors. The minor will be a great incubator for innovation and entrepreneurial ventures. Look for updates on this new initiative. The programs we are offering in Management support our CSU students in their education, and help them excel in the marketplace. Based on our strategic planning process, several important initiatives are underway. We are seeking to build stronger relations with our alumni and members of the business community to help us further our strategic goals. The Entrepreneurship Institute and Supply Chain Forum continue to expand our community of business professionals, to the benefit of our students, faculty, and programs. Especially important, are scholarship initiatives for our students and the continued support of faculty research. We seek to enhance the classroom environment for all of our students through the inclusion of business speakers, and offer hands-on applications of classroom material because our students learn by doing. I am very proud of the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, alumni, and students. As you will see in this newsletter, our students continue to be amazing. Be sure to also read about Professor Dan Krause, who is conducting some interesting research on his sabbatical next year. We are also very happy to feature alumnus John Weber who shares some highlights of his time at CSU and his career since graduation. I hope you get an opportunity to visit the CSU campus and see some of your favorite faculty members. When you have a chance, please send us any news you have about your career and life experiences. We would love to feature you in an upcoming newsletter.

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International Undergraduate Supply Chain Competition Four students, Alexis Applegate, Anastasia Pjevach, Doug Gaillard, and Jonathan Schulein (see photo), competed in the 5th Annual 2017 International Undergraduate Supply Chain Competition at the end of March at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Students competed against 29 other universities and were one of eight schools that received recognition. The distribution/retail case involved perishable items for the case sponsor, Land O’ Lakes. The CSU team placed 2nd in their flight, beaten out by the overall champion. Their performance was so strong, however, that they were recognized at the awards banquet for their excellence.     Denver Transportation Club Operations Stimulus Case Competition Thanks to APICS Northern Colorado and the Forum Partners, Colorado State students competed in the Denver Transportation Club Operations Stimulus Student Supply Chain Management Case Competition, and once again distinguished themselves as one of the top teams at this event.  Jens Aaron, Douglas Gaillard, and Jonathan Schulein had to develop a global sourcing, manufacturing and distribution strategy for a kitchen blender, taking into account the costs and risks of their decision.  CSU’s team competed against Wayne State, Syracuse, and Georgia Southern universities in the first round.  Wayne State won the pool, edging out CSU by a nose, and advanced to the finals.  Dalhausie University was the overall winner this year.  As has become the norm for CSU students at these events, other faculty members and executives of the Denver Transportation Club spoke highly of the CSU students’ professionalism and knowledge.  Congratulations to the team members for their outstanding efforts and for representing CSU in such a positive and professional manner!   National Undergraduate Supply Chain and Operations Case Competition In November, CSU participated for the first time in a case competition hosted by Arizona State.  This was a highly competitive competition sponsored by Starbucks, Oracle, C.H. Robinson, CSCMP. The students were given a real-world problem to solve and had the exciting opportunity to tour a Starbucks distribution facility. Sage Davis, Charlie Huminski, Erica Youngdahl and Jordan Hammond (see photo) represented CSU in the competition and impressed the judges with their creative solutions. Although they did not place in this competition, the students came away with some interesting insights and a better understanding of the complexities of perishable goods supply chains. The team was coached by Zac Rogers, a recent graduate of Arizona State who is looking forward to another chance this fall to take down his alma matter!    

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The Supply Chain Management Club aims to provide members with a real-world perspective on industry operations and strategies.  The club facilitates the CSCA and Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification exams, hosts industry speakers, and tours companies that excel in the supply chain industry. This spring, the club has had the pleasure of hearing a variety of professional speakers from Arrow Electronics, Ajilon, Target, Wolf Robotics, and Dennis Cole's career advising. This semester 13 students have become Certified Supply Chain Analysts, and several earned their Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification on Saturday, April 8. We have had the pleasure of bringing large groups of students to tour the Woodward Manufacturing Plant in Fort Collins and the Walmart Distribution Center in Loveland, Colorado. [caption id="attachment_58898" align="alignleft" width="200"] Supply Chain Management students tour  the Walmart Distribution Center[/caption] These tours enabled students to see a variety of supply chain practices from lean manufacturing and 5S methodology, to large scale automation and breakbulk management. The club has more exciting events on the horizon with Otter Products, Wolf Robotics and Horse & Dragon Brewery in the coming weeks. The club is looking forward to building more relationships with local companies, continuing to provide more events, and connecting more students with employment opportunities. Please email the club President, Hannah Walcher, or the faculty advisor, Paul Vanderspek, if you are interested in participating in any events, hosting tours, or have questions.

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“We’re changing the world, one delivery at a time," said Eric Berlinberg, a Colorado native and graduate of Colorado State University’s College of Business.

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The Supply Chain Management Club aims to provide members with a real-world perspective on industry operations and strategies.

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