This author had the opportunity to once again attend the annual MIT Research Expo held on the MIT campus in Cambridge Massachusetts and was once again blown away with the depth and caliper of student research projects focused on timely issues in supply chain management. 
Every January, master degree candidates from SCALE (MIT Global Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence Network) come together in this event to share their group research projects. Student teams present their projects that deal with current industry supply chain challenges in an electronic poster, along with team-based evidence and conclusions. Attendees can circulate among the various student projects to meet individual students as well as learn about their research projects. Â I was especially impressed this year with the number of projects focusing on elements of supply chain risk and risk mitigation.
MIT faculty advisors invite supply chain program alumni as well as coordinate with supply chain focused professional organizations such as local APICS, CSCMP and ISM chapters to attend this Expo and potentially recruit future graduates. Not only is this a great event for students to present their academic and research depth, but also a fabulous networking opportunity to mingle with various industry supply chain professionals. These students indeed represented the future leaders of industry supply chain organizations.
This year’s Research Expo winners were:
Best Overall:
The Perfect Promotion from Asen Kalenderski and Satya Sanivarapu, Master of Engineering in Logistics program, MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics.
Best Posters Each Global Center:
Financial Impact on Demand Forecasting Decisions, Alejandra Acevedo, MIT Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Center for Latin-American Logistics Innovation, Bogota Columbia.
Costs and Benefits of Order Flexibility, Arun Param and Da Chin Lim, MIT Malaysia Master of Science in Supply Chain Management, Malaysia Institute of Supply Chain Innovation, Shah Alam Malaysia.
Strategic Sourcing in Uncertain Environments, Hugo Hotte and Sharad Vaish, MIT Zaragoza Master of Engineering in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Zaragoza Logistics Center, Zaragoza Spain.
We at Supply Chain Matters extend our best wishes and well-done to all of the student participants in the 2015 Research Expo event.
Bob Ferrari, Executive Editor
