Supply chain and engineering Spartans continue legacy of excellence with MIT fellowships

Broad Spartans are renowned for our strengths in supply chain management, which have long been recognized through top rankings, impactful research and ongoing student and alumni success. With eight Spartans from the Class of 2023 being honored in the MIT Supply Chain Excellence Awards our legacy of excellence lives on.

For a decade, MIT has awarded fellowships to top graduating seniors in supply chain and industrial engineering. Winners receive a $30,000 fellowship toward the MIT supply chain management master’s program or a full-tuition fellowship to an MIT partner master’s program at centers in China, Luxembourg, Malaysia or Spain. Honorable mentions are also named; these winners have a choice between a $15,000 fellowship for the MIT supply chain management master’s program or a 75% tuition discount for one of MIT’s partner programs. The fellowship awards are redeemable within five years so that winners may apply after gaining work experience necessary to enter the master’s program.

Chris Lussenhop, director of corporate and student relations in the Department of Supply Chain Management, noted, “The pool of applicants for these fellowships is limited to the 10 MIT Supply Chain Excellence partner universities that participate; they are all excellent schools and programs. The fact that multiple MSU students have received awards each year since the start of our partnership with MIT underscores the great supply chain talent in our program here at MSU.”

This year, five Spartans were selected as winners: Peter Dillon, Mallory Johnson, Haley Liu and Kevin Wang hailing from Broad, and Maryam Esho from the College of Engineering. Honorable mentions included David Moore and Michael Yamin from Broad and Dalety Julia Averio De Souza from the College of Engineering.

The selected Spartans were dedicated during their time at MSU, gaining extensive professional experience and campus involvement. For Dillon, that meant being a teaching assistant for SCM 479: Supply Chain Cost Analysis and Application. As he’s starting his career with the Supply Chain Associate Leadership Program at Eli Lilly, he’s also excited for what opportunities this fellowship will offer him.

“I was so happy to be able to make my university, friends and family proud,” he said. “My ultimate career goal is to start my own business. The MIT master’s program will be extremely beneficial in materializing that goal because MIT is where world-changing businesses are formed. Not only will the skills I’ll learn come in handy, but the network that I’ll forge will also be a very valuable resource.”

Echoing the same sentiment, Johnson said, “It is truly an honor to be recognized by such a distinguished university, and I am so grateful to the Broad College and the supply chain management department for providing me with endless resources and opportunities to make a fellowship like this possible.”

This summer, Johnson will be joining General Motors as part of the Global Purchasing and Supply Chain TRACK Program. Down the road, she looks forward to connecting with bright students in the MIT master’s in supply chain management program, creating her own research initiative and exploring how topics like sustainability and technology play a role in supply chains across the globe.

Liu was involved in student organizations on campus, including the Supply Chain Management Association, Broad China Business Society and Asian Pacific American Student Organization. Similar to her peers, Liu plans to work full-time to gain industry experience before enrolling in the master’s program.

“This milestone was achieved with the support from my family, friends, mentors and the remarkable professors and resources at MSU,” she said. “I can’t wait to see where my career takes me with the experience and connections I will gain.”

Kevin Wang, who was inspired by past winners, said, “I’ve always wanted to become an entrepreneur and have worked tirelessly in my college career to amass experience and skills.”

During his time at MSU, Wang served as president of the Broad China Business Society and internal case competition chair of the Supply Chain Management Association. After graduation, Wang is joining McKinsey & Company as a delivery assurance analyst and plans to keep his momentum going to reach his goals.

“I plan to spend the next few years gathering as much as experience as I can, whether it’s through my job at McKinsey or through master’s programs and other opportunities,” he said. “The MIT master’s program fits into my future goals as it not only develops my technical abilities but also allows me to gain exposure to global entrepreneurship through both curriculum and proximity to such a concentration of global talent. Through this program, I can be exposed to entrepreneurial initiatives and start-ups to learn how to build something new.”

Lussenhop said, “The receipt of the fellowship or honorable mention is a high honor in and of itself, as the fellowship is highly selective and many applications are received each year. To be among the recipients is a noteworthy accomplishment in a student’s college career.”

The MIT Supply Chain Excellence Awards are known fondly at Broad as the Frank Wang Excellence Awards, named after the alumnus who was instrumental in bringing the partnership to MSU.

Frank Wang (B.A. Supply Chain Management ’18) was pursuing a graduate certificate at MIT when he learned about the awards and shared them with the Department of Supply Chain Management. Wang passed away in 2019, but his Spartan spirit lives on.