Institute for Supply Management: This nonprofit professional supply management organization has more than 50,000 members worldwide.
Industry Partners & Employers
The Supply Chain Management and Analytics (SCMA) department at VCU maintains strong industry partnerships, facilitating student placements, projects and networking opportunities with top companies across various sectors. These collaborations offer students valuable internships and full-time employment opportunities with companies such as those listed below:
Student Departmental Awards
Student of the Year:The Student of the Year award is presented to a senior or graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in scholarship and leadership.
Distinguished Service Award: The Distinguished Service Award is presented to a student who has provided distinguished service to the department, university and community.
Dylan Newby Student of the Year
Dylan is a remarkable student and a Provost Scholarship recipient as well as a Dean’s Scholar Award recipient in 2023 and 2024. He has maintained a 4.00 GPA while participating in the accelerated master’s program in supply chain management. One professor remarked, "I thought Dylan was my smartest graduate student until I discovered he is an undergraduate.” Dylan is the treasurer for Kappa Kappa Psi and plans to continue in the Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) program at VCU upon completing his undergraduate degree. After graduating from the MSCM program, he plans to pursue a career in global procurement.
Sydney Kaeser Distinguished Service Award
If the Supply Chain Management and Analytics Department is hosting an event, you can count on Sydney to be there. She is the president of the Sustainable Supply Chain Society and has helped organize expos, conferences and company visits. Sydney has partnered with the Association of Supply Chain Management and worked as an undergraduate project manager for Project Ram Re-X, focusing on e-waste solutions–all while maintaining a 3.75 GPA. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a Master of Applied Science in supply chain management.
Kendrick Nguyen Student of the Year
It is easy to see why Kendrick was selected for the Student of the Year award. One professor remarked that Kendrick is “super professional and participative. He really showed mastery of the material.” Another stated that Kendrick is “probably the best and brightest student I’ve had in a few years.” A third noted that his work was “sensational.” All high praise! Kendrick has been on the Dean’s List every semester and received the Dean’s Scholar award in 2022-23. Kendrick is currently working to obtain a Six Sigma certification and, following graduation, plans to work for the federal government in a procurement or logistics position.
Natalie Hampton Distinguished Service Award
Natalie is an outstanding contributor not just to the Supply Chain Management and Analytics (SCMA) department but to the School of Business. She is the founder and current president of the Sustainable Supply Chain Society as well as the member engagement chair for Women in Business. Natalie has served the School as a business student ambassador and has been an intern at Target as an operations manager. Following graduation, Natalie plans to participate in the RTX Operations and Supply Chain Leadership Development Program.
Naomi Abiyu Student of the Year
It is easy to see why Naomi was selected for the Student of the Year award. One of her professors shares, “Naomi is a student leader both inside and outside of the classroom.” Naomi has been on the Dean’s List every semester and is the recipient of the Charles G. Thalhimer Family Endowment Fund. She has been part of the VCU Undergraduate SGA since coming to VCU and is now press secretary. Naomi holds a leadership position in SCMT and works in the Office of Sustainability as a supply chain intern. Upon graduation, Naomi will pursue a career in procurement and sustainability.
Summer Natour Distinguished Service Award
Summer is an outstanding contributor to the SCMA department. She is the current president of SCMT and was named the first AWESOME Excellence in Education Scholar. She represents SCMA at outreach events, including Preview Day, accepted student days, BOSS Days and SOVO Fair. She participated in the national Supply Chain Case Competition and received an honorable mention. Summer has ambitious plans for the future. In addition to earning an advanced degree, she hopes to pursue a career in sustainability and supply chain or procurement strategy. She also plans to write a book on how the connection between sociology and supply chain management can transform the world.
Mackenzie Williams Student of the Year
Mackenzie is an exceptional student who maintains an extraordinary GPA while also being a member of VCU’s field hockey team. She was part of the team that won the A-10 Championship in 2020–21. At VCU, she has earned academic honors as a School of Business Dean’s Scholar and has been named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and the Dean’s List. Her academic accomplishments extend beyond VCU, as she has also been recognized as an A-10 All-Academic Team member and an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction—an honor awarded to student-athletes with cumulative GPAs of 3.9 or higher. Mackenzie plans to pursue a master’s in supply chain management at VCU.
Keara Meeley Distinguished Service Award
Keara is academically talented and actively gives back to the school. She has been named to the Dean’s List for seven semesters and received the Arconic Community Scholarship, which supports students in the fields of engineering, consumer packaging, business and technology. Keara has served the SCMA department by helping to host events and employer spotlights for members of the Sigma Chi Mu Tau Supply Chain Honors Society, where she serves as program coordinator. She completed a logistics internship at J.B. Hunt and is currently an intern at IGS. After graduation, Keara plans to continue working in Richmond and looks forward to becoming more involved in the community.
Kylee Tennis Student of the Year
Kylee Tennis’s passion for analytics and research made her an easy choice for SCMA’s Student of the Year award. She has an outstanding academic record, with a major GPA of 4.0, and was described by a SCMA professor as “diligent and insightful.” For more than a year, Kylee has worked as a game sales analyst intern with Ember Labs, where she has completed over six comprehensive analytic projects. After graduation, she plans to work as a logistics analyst in the Washington, D.C., area. Congratulations, Kylee!
Shane Rogers Distinguished Service Award
Congratulations to Shane Rogers, recipient of the SCMA Distinguished Service Award. Even during the pandemic, Shane found meaningful ways to serve both VCU and the greater community. In fall 2020, he participated in the Supply Chain Analytics Project. More recently, he co-founded and now serves as vice president of the Supply Chain Management and Analytics Honor Society, Sigma Chi Mu Tau. Outside of VCU, Shane gives back by teaching jiu-jitsu to children. He currently interns at Century Distribution Systems while maintaining a near-perfect GPA. After graduation, Shane plans to work full time while pursuing a master’s degree in statistics.
Bentley Zabicki Student of the Year
Bentley is a remarkable student who has earned distinctions both on and off the field. She has been named to the Dean’s List every semester and was a School of Business Dean’s Scholar in 2018 and 2019. As a member of VCU’s field hockey team, she has been recognized on the A-10 All-Academic Team and is a four-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. Bentley also serves on the VCU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a member of the SCMA department’s select A+SCILS group. Upon graduation, she has accepted a position with Altria and will be working in the Customer Supply Chain Group.
Daniel Filippelli Distinguished Service Award
It’s easy to see why Daniel was selected for the SCMA Distinguished Service Award. He has supported the department by volunteering at Open House weekends and speaking at Investor Circle dinners. He also serves as a campus ambassador for Altria and works as a tutor in the Campus Learning Center. Daniel has excelled academically, earning a place on the Dean’s List for the past four semesters. After graduation, he will join Altria’s Customer Supply Chain Group, where he previously interned.
Being surrounded by outstanding, caring professors gave me the confidence to discover my place in the supply chain. Attending conferences and participating in case studies deepened my knowledge and expanded my network. These experiences have provided invaluable lessons and a strong foundation for my career.
Dylan Newby
Sydney Kaeser
Kendrick Nguyen
Natalie Hampton
Naomi Abiyu
Summer Natour
Mackenzie Williams
Keara Meeley
Kylee Tennis
Shane Rogers
Bentley Zabicki
Daniel Filippelli