Whether you're shopping for groceries locally or ordering products online, the process of supply chain management impacts consumers daily. It's important to know the ropes of an effective and timely supply chain, and students in the College of Business can get hands-on experience in this area through the Center for Supply Chain Entrepreneurship program.

The program, initiated in 2021, aims to connect local, national and international businesses to College of Business faculty and students. The objective is to drive, create and enhance supply chain entrepreneurial activity in the areas of supply chain management, artificial intelligence and business analytics solutions.

"We're trying to establish NMSU as the regional school for supply chain," said Victor Pimentel, assistant professor of supply chain/business analytics and director of CSCE program. "We're fighting for new classes. We're fighting to get more students in the major. We're working with students and taking them on trips, competitions and trainings. Once they graduate from our program, they end up doing great."

Students who have participated in these competitions have garnered attention from top business leaders and innovators around the world, some of whom have visited NMSU.

"Last fall, we took four of our undergraduate students to the 2023 GM/WSU Case Competition, hosted by the Mike Ilitch School of Business' Global Supply Chain Management department in Detroit for the 'best supply chain programs in the country,' and we demolished the competition," Pimentel said. "They're having those interactions with massive players. We had the former CEO of Starbucks visit the college. I also had the CEO of one of the largest real estate companies in Arizona, who's worth $1 billion, come into my class, and he said he was impressed with our kids. They're rubbing shoulders with the right players and learning from people who have done it."

Some of Pimentel's graduate students are working to boost their research with local companies and have been publishing studies.

"We recently won a presidential award for one of our papers," he shared. "Our students are getting good jobs, recognized, and also some come back to us with job opportunities for current students. It's been a lot of work, but we can see how it's been paying off."

One of the most unique and beneficial aspects of studying in the CSCE program is having access to one of the largest ports of entry for supply chain at the United States-Mexico border.

"We have one place, which is Mexico, and the other, which is the U.S., and just making that across can be a pain if you don't know how to do it properly," Pimentel explained. "Our students can do it the right way. We went to the Lear Corporation maquiladora in Juárez, Mexico, in early 2023, and we sat with the global vice president of the company. We presented our research, received a tour of the plant, and they spent two hours just chatting."

Pimentel shared that this kind of experience for students boosts their drive to pursue their passions and motivates them to keep going.

"They're taking lessons not only from their professors, but from people who have lived that life," he shared. "As they interact with these people, they understand that there's no glass ceiling for them. It's very inspirational for us because they realize the potential they have, and there's nothing they can't accomplish if they really want it."

Many students have gone on to make the business world a better place after graduation, and many have returned to the College of Business to share their stories and help others climb that same ladder.

"There's no greater joy for us involved in the program than to see our students succeed," Pimentel said. "When your former students and come back and still want to pitch in or help the younger cubs to grow and inspire them, that's why we do what we do. For me personally, that's why I'm a professor. I want my students to succeed."

Pimentel said it is inspiring to see where some of his students started and where they were able to go with some of the expertise they received during their time in the CSCE program.

"We have an alum from NASA who debriefs with us every month, and they want to hire some of our students," he shared. "I have one student who used to work construction with her dad since she was 4 years old. Last summer, she took her mom to Europe for eight weeks. So, a little bit of change of pace, but that's what we want. You learn about their stories, what inspires them and what their ambitions and goals are. It's nice to be a part of their journey, and it's the reason why I'm at NMSU – to help the kids achieve their dreams."

As for the future of the program, Pimentel expressed that it will continue to help students succeed, not only with their career dreams, but life in general.

"It's a very fun and fulfilling career that allows you to travel, meet new people, and engage with several industries at the same time. It's well paid, well respected, and I don't see how a student who gets in the supply chain field wouldn't have a full life," he said. "Geographically speaking, we cannot be in a better place right now. It's only going to create more business and job opportunities for our students. We're very excited for what's coming."

A version of this story first published in the latest issue of the College of Business Annual Report. Read the issue here.

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/center-of-supply-chain-entrepreneurship-program-sets-up-students-for-success/s/ba35297f-60ca-4fde-a32d-e39b96eae432