In 2009, President Obama issued an executive order to green up the supply chain of government goods. When it came down to figuring out exactly how to do that, the White House turned to one of
Michigan State University’s supply chain experts for advice.
David Closs, chairperson of the Department of Supply Chain Management, was invited to the White House last week to participate in a dialogue with about 50 experts from the government, business, nonprofit and academic sectors to discuss how to make the government supply chain more sustainable.
“One of the areas I've been researching,” says Closs, “is what companies do to enhance sustainability. I’ve been talking to the private sector, understanding what initiatives they’ve put in place.”
It should be no surprise for MSU to be a part of the discussion on this topic. MSU’s supply chain program is ranked number one for undergraduates and number two for graduates by U.S. News & World Report.
“What differentiates MSU is that we have the most integrated view of the supply chain,” says Closs. “Our definition of the supply chain are all the activities from farm to fork, or as the case me be, from the sand to iPod.”
Closs received the invitation to the White House via email. The meetings took place in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located next to the West Wing.
“I think for MSU it's a great privilege to get this kind of visibility for the program,” Closs says.
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