05/14/25 — The U.S. trade war has caused shipping to come to a near standstill at ports along the West Coast. Its affects will have a ripple effect across multiple industries. USF's Supply Chain Innovation Lab director explains the impact of the tariff wars on long-haul truckers.
The Monica Wooden Center for Supply Chain Management & Sustainability is °®ÎÛ´«Ã½â€™s hub for global, end-to-end supply chain management education and research. The center strives to provide cutting-edge, hands-on, experiential learning at the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive levels. Research conducted through the center's Supply Chain Innovation Lab endeavors to solve unexplained challenges with novel approaches and is conducted by world-class faculty in cooperation with public and private industry partners, as well as government entities. We seek to empower all stakeholders with knowledge that powers dreams and changes lives.
What is Supply Chain Management?
Supply chain management is the backbone of business and consists of dynamic and agile management of products and services, financial, and technology-driven information flows between people and organizations. It includes innovation of all the activities that take place to get a product in your hands – from the time raw materials are extracted to the minute you get your product to managing returns. Supply chain management focuses on keeping track of products and information as they flow around the world from suppliers and producers to distributors to retailers and on to you and other consumers. Every time you purchase a product at a store or online, you can thank supply chain managers for a job well done!
Careers and Successes in Supply Chain Management
The needs for supply chain management expertise are great. Careers in supply chain management are found within almost every industry, as well as within government. Graduates have been placed in various analyst, management, and supervisory roles with major technology firms, leading corporate banks, manufacturers, transportation and third-party logistics providers, defense, automotive, major pharmaceutical companies, and the world’s largest retailers, among others.
Undergraduate programs blend development hard and soft skills that employ critical thinking, digital technologies, and other critical tools necessary for present and future success in the fast-paced world of supply chain management. All undergraduate students complete paid internships. Additionally, for over a decade, each student seeking a full-time job after graduation has earned one. Average starting salaries are among the highest at the university with some undergraduate alumni realizing starting salary offers of over six figures per year. Graduate students participate in applied learning to further enhance career advancement while delivering organizational value and driving success. Job growth within the industry is nearly 20% over the next decade.
In supply chain management, if you can dream it, you can do it!