By Kristin Kennedy
After starting an internship at Jasper Engines and Transmissions in May 2015, Luke Hoffman became interested in supply chain and operations management because it enabled him to help make the company run more efficiently.
Hoffman, a business junior in the supply chain and operations management concentration, recently received a scholarship to attend an international conference focusing on the supply chain and operations management field.
Hoffman has received the Capital One scholarship to attend the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)’s 2016 conference, which will be held May 15-18 in Indianapolis. Sessions will be held in the Indiana Convention Center and the JW Marriott.
According to ISM, Hoffman and other scholarship winners will receive $1,000 toward travel expenses for the conference, and they will get in the conference free. Additionally, Hoffman and other scholarship winners will receive complimentary registration for the Emerging Professionals Experience at the conference.
The Emerging Professionals Experience includes invitations to the 30 Under 30 reception and the Connection Reception, where the scholarship winners will be able to network with other scholars and senior-level executives, according to the ISM 2016 conference’s website. It also includes a two-hour session focusing on Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) Test 1 and the opportunity to take CPSM Test 1.
According to ISM, the scholarship winners needed to be current ISM student members and were required to submit an application and a one-page essay. In the essay, applicants were asked to address why they chose to major in supply management, what they believed would be the future of supply management or a concept they had for supply management.
Hoffman said he chose to apply for the scholarship after Paul Pittman, professor of operations management, told him and other students about the conference. He said it was the first time he had heard of the conference, and he is interested in the networking and educational opportunities that will result from it.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Hoffman said. “I’m the first one to really attend a big conference in my family, so it’s a validation of my grades and opportunities that I’ve taken through internships.”
Hoffman also said he is looking forward to attending sessions at the conference that are related to current issues, new technology and new concepts in the supply chain and operations management field.
Pittman said the Capital One scholarship was competitive, and Hoffman was part of an international pool of student applicants.
“This is a great and well-deserved honor for Luke,” Pittman said. “We have many talented students in our program, and there is nothing that makes us more fulfilled as faculty than to see the success that results when students like Luke are rewarded for their efforts.”
According to ISM, the organization’s annual conference enables students to meet and network with supply executives in all business areas. The conference features numerous sessions, keynote speakers, networking receptions and special events. An agenda for the 2016 conference is available here.
ISM began in 1915, and it is the first and largest nonprofit professional supply management organization in the world, according to the organization’s website. ISM helps industry professionals generate positive outcomes through education, industry certification, information distribution and research.