T
wo WMU students are recipients of national Richter Scholarship
Two Western Michigan University students have been selected to receive a prestigious nationwide business scholarship.
Christopher Mulcahy of Livonia, Mich., and Cameron Tew of Rochester, Mich., are two of ten recipients of the 2011 Richter Scholarship awarded by the R. Gene and Nancy D. Richter Foundation and the Institute for Supply Management’s Richter Scholarship Fund.
In its eighth year, the Richter Scholarship Program is the largest nationally recognized scholarship program in the field of supply chain management. Winners will be recognized May 15 at an awards dinner during the Institute for Supply Management's 96th Annual International Supply Management Conference and Educational Exhibit in Orlando, Fla.
Mulcahy is entering his last semester at WMU, where he is majoring in integrated supply management. In addition to being a full-time student in the Haworth College of Business, he also works 20 to 25 hours a week on his second internship assignment with Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, Mich. From February to December 2010, he was a business reporting and analytics intern. In January 2011, he transitioned to the customer service logistics innovation team, where he is an innovation project assistant.
As the leader of the Kellogg’s Intern Committee, Mulcahy is responsible for planning and organizing meetings, networking events and other activities that help interns advance their professional abilities and gain exposure for full-time employment upon graduation. Mulcahy also shares his leadership talents as a member of a professional business fraternity. He was elected to the board of Delta Sigma Pi and serves as vice president of alumni relations and is an active member of the APICS student organization.
“I take a lot of pride in leading by example,” Mulcahy says. “I would never ask anyone to do anything I’m not willing to do, or have not done. My experience has taught me that by working together and using individual skills or interests, the group becomes more effective than any one individual could.”
Tew is entering his last semester at WMU where he is majoring in integrated supply management, with a minor in general business. He was awarded the General Motors/EEOC Scholarship through WMU’s Haworth College of Business. Tew is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society and a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honors Organization. After graduation, Tew plans to begin a position with IBM as a junior supply chain consultant for the U.S. federal government.
Tew is currently engaged in a purchasing internship with American Axle & Manufacturing in Three Rivers, Mich. As part of his co-op employment with American Axle, he leads a team of employees from various departments in establishing a more efficient and greener filing system for the company’s sensitive documents. Tew led an innovative solution that eliminated manual search and retrieval of thousands of
documents. Packing slips, purchase orders and invoices are now scanned into American Axle’s existing Oracle ERP system and virtually “attached” to a corresponding electronic receipt.
“For me personally, the most exciting feature about supply chain management is that it requires my work to be results-driven,” Tew says. “I take pride in pointing to an implemented system or accomplished cost savings as an example of my team’s ability to create a positive outcome.”
Scholarships are awarded through ISM’s R. Gene Richter Scholarship Fund and through the R. Gene and Nancy D. Richter Foundation. The 2011 Richter Scholars receive tuition assistance of up to US$5,000 and the benefits of an executive mentor, which pairs the student with an established executive, and a junior mentor, which pairs the student with a former Richter scholar.
There were 65 applications from candidates representing 26 different universities. Other 2011 Richter Scholars represent Arizona State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Michigan State University, among others. Since the scholarship was created in 2004, WMU has had five Richter Scholars, with Andrea Brown winning first in 2005, Elizabeth Aven in 2006 and Jamie Loeks in 2009.
The R. Gene Richter Scholarship Program was established and named in memory of R. Gene Richter, who was a galvanizing force in the field of procurement. Richter is admired for elevating the profession to world-class stature. He led the supply organizations at The Black & Decker Corporation, Hewlett-Packard and International Business Machines (IBM). For information on the R. Gene Richter Scholarship
Program, visit www.richterfoundation.org.
Institute for Supply Management
Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM) is the first supply management institute in the world. Founded in 1915, ISM exists to lead and serve the supply management profession and is a highly influential
and respected association in the global marketplace. By executing and extending its mission through education, research, standards of excellence and information dissemination — including the renowned monthly ISM Report On Business® — ISM maintains a strong global influence among individuals and organizations. ISM is a not-for-profit educational association that serves professionals and organizations with an interest in supply management in more than 80 countries. ISM offers the Certified Professional in Supply Management® and Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity™ qualifications and is a member of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management.
