SW New Mexico News

Students from New Mexico State University's Center of Supply Chain Entrepreneurship have achieved notable success by securing second place in a global supply chain competition held in early October. The team, comprising Valeria Gomez, Mia Martinez, Alex Thorson, and Jorge E. Ramirez, participated in the General Motors/Wayne State University Supply Chain Case Competition in Detroit, Michigan.

This invitation-only event brings together top supply chain students from around the world to engage with automotive industry supply chain systems and solve related challenges. Gomez expressed her satisfaction with the achievement, stating, "As a graduating senior, going away from NM State with such an achievement is very fulfilling and motivating to continue to strive for success and boldness."

Victor Pimentel, assistant professor of supply chain/business analytics and director of the CSCE program at NMSU, played a significant role as a mentor. He provided various forms of support to the team throughout their preparation process. Pimentel remarked on the team's dedication: “It is gratifying and a testament to the dedication, hard work, and team spirit. Several different students from other schools commented on how inspirational our team was.”

The students trained for six months before the competition with assistance from Peace Aludogbu, a Ph.D. student who helped them analyze cases. Pimentel noted that training involved simulations and data analysis classes to enhance presentation skills.

Martinez highlighted the real-world experience gained through participation: “This competition was a terrific opportunity to get experience analyzing and problem-solving with a real-world case.” She also acknowledged mentors Dr. Pimentel and Dr. Donovan Fuqua for their guidance.

Despite facing strong competition from 20 teams globally, there was mutual support among participants before and after the event. Ramirez reflected on his personal growth through this experience: “I'm so proud of every one of my teammates... It feels amazing to show people that at the end of the day it’s about what you know.”

The team expressed gratitude towards Fuqua and Aludogbu for their summer training efforts. In appreciation of Fuqua's contributions, they presented him with a Detroit Red Wings jersey.

Thorson encouraged others to embrace similar opportunities: “I truly encourage anyone to take the leap with opportunities like this.”

For more details about NMSU's supply chain program visit https://csce.nmsu.edu/.