Gabrielle Burns
Auburn University
Gabrielle Burns will complete her degree in Supply Chain Management at the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business at Auburn University in December 2019.
Gabrielle’s family owns a small business and this is where her interest in supply chain was sparked. By participating in conversations about her family’s company, she was exposed to the dramatic impact that improvements in the company’s supply chain have on the bottom line, and in total, the influence it has on their business. Gabrielle began talking with her parents about the shipping and transporting logistics of the company, and her interest in this field strengthened. One thing that continues to inspire her is the impact a small change in the supply chain can make on a company as a whole.
In the summer of 2018, Gabrielle completed an internship at UPS. Working for a leader in transportation and delivery field, she had the opportunity to learn from one of the best. Gabrielle experienced aspects of the supply chain industry that many people never see. She plans to complete another internship with UPS in the Summer of 2019.
Currently, on campus, Gabrielle is an ambassador for Auburn Supply Chain Management Association. In this role, she is able to assist other students, as well as have the opportunity to attend events on and off campus. She is also a new member educator for Zeta Tau Alpha, mentoring incoming freshmen. Gabrielle had the pleasure of attending CSCMP Edge in 2018 as a Future Leader, where she expanded her network and learned from industry experts.
Katie Gustas
Penn State University
Katie Gustas is a junior at the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University, majoring in Supply Chain Management with a focus on International Business and Management Information Systems.
Katie’s interest in supply chain began when she took her first supply chain course in her sophomore year. She felt it was a perfect fit for her, combining her ability for problem solving with her interest in processes and how things get done. Katie learned that there are many different directions one can go with a supply chain major, and that the potential for growth is exciting. Katie worked as a Supply Planning Co-Op at Johnson & Johnson during the Summer and Fall of 2018. During this time, she was reminded of all the different parts of business that are impacted by supply chain and enjoyed learning about different roles within the company.
Katie is currently the treasurer of the SAP student interest group on campus. The SAP Student Interest Group was formed to unify and facilitate students who want to learn more about SAP. The Group also organizes tutorial sessions for the systems, industry speakers, and other details for members. Katie is a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity Gamma Epsilon chapter. Additionally, this year she represented Penn State at The National Supply Chain Case Competition hosted by The University of Minnesota, where her team earned 2nd place. In the summer of 2019, Katie will intern at KPMG in their Product Operations and Procurement Advisory sector in New York City.
McKenzie Meehan
University of Arkansas
McKenzie Meehan will receive her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a Supply Chain Management major and Marketing minor from the University of Arkansas in May 2020.
McKenzie started college as a Marketing major, but quickly changed her major after completing her Introduction to Supply Chain course. McKenzie was initially interested in how supply chain management worked with all other facets of business in order to develop relationships between each division. While working for Academy Sports & Outdoors as a product development intern for Global Sourcing, she found a true passion for solving problems by connecting the puzzle of supply chain processes. After furthering her education and gaining real world experience, she realized the vast amount of influence and opportunity that a supply chain career offers. After graduation, McKenzie would like to use her leadership and communication skills to become a project manager for a large company.
McKenzie is the President for Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence (WISE) organization at the U of A. She also serves as the Risk Management and Standards chair for Chi Omega, Psi Chapter, previously serving as Vice President. She is head of Senior Relations for the University of Arkansas Student Alumni Board. McKenzie received the Extraordinary Women’s Award in the category of service for the U of A. She is a member of CSCMP, the Arkansas Supply Chain Association, and Student Alumni Association. McKenzie currently works as a trainer at the Arkansas Union and a General Mills Campus Leader. In the summer of 2019, McKenzie will intern with General Mills Inc., focusing on North America Retail Sales.
Kailey Peterson
Michigan State University
Kailey Peterson will receive her Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management with a minor in Information Technology from Michigan State University in the Spring of 2020.
Kailey chose the field of supply chain because she believes it is the essential backbone of a business and a key contributor to nearly every aspect of corporate success. In the summer of 2018, Kailey was a sales intern at Altria, where she worked on improving profit margins, implementing buying and pricing strategies, and developed a tracking tool to measure, analyze and assess progress against initiatives. Kailey sees the role of supply chain continuing to evolve, and the opportunity to work in this dynamic field fuels her passion for the industry. Her goal is to continue to learn, grow as a leader and ensure excellence in any supply chain process she is involved with.
On campus, Kailey serves as the Vice President of Fundraising at Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity. She also holds the position of Executive Board Career Fair Director of the Supply Chain Management Student Association at MSU. Under her leadership, the association was able to recruit over 120 companies to attend this year’s career fair, directly benefitting over 400 students with either internships or full-time job opportunities. Kailey is also involved with case competitions on campus, affiliated with companies like Target, BP and Cisco. Seeking out these experiences helped Kailey develop a sense of high personal and professional standards that include integrity and innovation. In the Summer of 2019, Kailey will intern in supply planning at PepsiCo in Denver, Colorado.
Alyson Weber
Syracuse University
Alyson Weber will complete her degree in Supply Chain Management with a minor in Food Studies at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in Spring of 2020.
While interning at the University of Chicago Hospital Supply Chain Department in the summer of 2018, Alyson worked alongside many inspiring female interns and colleagues. Through this internship, she was able to learn how to utilize Tableau data software, as well as work on lean process improvement projects. Using data analysis and process flow mapping for one of her projects, she was able to implement a standardized capital procurement process for the hospital, which reduced lead time, strengthened efficiency within the purchasing department, and positively impacted patient care. This valuable experience, coupled with visits to local manufacturing and distribution facilities through the Franklin CSCMP Syracuse University Student Roundtable, and participation in a collegiate supply chain competition led Alyson to discover an enthusiasm for the field of Supply Chain and all of its opportunities for growth and innovation.
Alyson is Editor-in-Chief of Baked, a student food magazine. She also served on the membership board of OrangeSeeds, a first-year leadership empowerment program focused on building professional skills and participating in community service. Alyson is looking forward to her upcoming internship at US Foods in the logistics network strategy department, where she hopes to learn more about using data analytics and lean strategies to determine efficient transportation routes and storage hubs.