FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The supply-chain management undergraduate program, part of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, has been ranked No. 1 in North America by Gartner, a global research firm.
Gartner, which studies and rates companies and academic programs across a variety of industries, releases its findings on supply chain programs every two years. In Gartner’s latest rankings, released June 24, Arkansas’ program moved up 14 spots in Gartner’s Top 25 from the previous rankings in 2018.
Brian Fugate, department chair and the Oren Harris chair in transportation, said the university’s department of supply-chain management remains relatively young and that it is “phenomenal to see this type of recognition. Arkansas launched the department in 2011 under the leadership of Matthew A. Waller and John Ozment.
“Gartner provides an unbiased report, and this No. 1 ranking recognizes the outstanding work and excellence of our faculty, staff and students,” said Waller, who is now Walton College dean and the Sam M. Walton leadership chair in business. “The ranking also is highly respected throughout industry, which helps our students as they look for internships and move into careers.”
The rankings reflect excellence in three specific areas — industry value, program scope and program size.
“It’s an honor to earn such outstanding recognition,” Fugate said. “Northwest Arkansas has become a hot spot for the industry, with all the great supply chain companies located nearby. It’s important that we do our part to add to that excellence.”
The rest of the Top 10 supply-chain management programs noted in Gartner’s 2020 rankings included Rutgers University, Penn State University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of South Carolina, the University of Tennessee, Auburn University, Northeastern University, Michigan State University and Georgia Tech.
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