New Hamilton Professorship to boost supply chain management research
New Hamilton Professorship to boost supply chain management research
Andy Anderson believes we’ve just about hit peak globalization. What that means for his discipline, supply chain management, and how students can adapt are two important problems he's working to solve. And a new designation will help him along his journey.
Anderson, associate professor of management, will be the first person to hold the Hamilton Professorship when it becomes official in fall 2023. Launched in 2013, the Fellowship, funded by Jeff Hamilton (Accounting ‘80), CEO of ESP International, and his wife Julie, focuses on international supply chain and logistics management. ESP International, a Cedar Rapids-based global supply chain specialist, distributes O-rings and industrial seals.
Anderson has held the Fellowship designation for a little over a year. So far, the funding and support from ESP International and the Hamilton family has benefited his work in a big way. The elevation to Professorship, which comes with a monetary boost, figures to enhance that effect.
“It’s really informing my teaching, understanding what’s happening in their world, and it’s also informing my research in a very meaningful way,” Anderson said. “I think we’ve hit peak globalization, so now it’s enrichment in the industry. Understanding how that looks and where things are moving toward are important pieces of the puzzle for both creating cutting edge knowledge for the world but also disseminating that knowledge to our students.”
Jeff Hamilton
“You get cutting-edge thoughts and ideas about what people are thinking about global supply chain management every single day,” Anderson said. “You get to draw on those realities of what they are facing. Their pain points, their success, and everything in between. It’s really keeping up to date with what’s happening in the world.”
On the research side, Anderson said a couple of his projects have ties to the fellowship, particularly one that looks at political risk in supply chain management. His designation is still young, and work is ongoing. He’s excited to work under a Professorship in the fall and expand on that work
In some of Anderson’s supply chain management courses, students interact with ESP International’s leadership team and gain real-world insight into international supply chain management. For example, ESP International usually makes a trip to campus every year. This past spring, about 60 students participated in a social event at a golf simulation lab following a forum-style conversation with the leadership team of ESP International.
“It’s really a feather in my cap, and it’s one of those highly visible signals to the university and the community that I’m excelling,” Anderson said. “I’m extremely grateful. ESP International has been there since the beginning, when we started building this supply chain management program [at the College of Business]. Having partners like this, from alumni and the community, really benefits our students in so many important ways. It’s hard to quantify.”
“You get cutting-edge thoughts and ideas about what people are thinking about global supply chain management every single day,” Anderson said. “You get to draw on those realities of what they are facing. Their pain points, their success, and everything in between. It’s really keeping up to date with what’s happening in the world.”
– Andy Anderson
