Iowa State’s Supply Chain Initiative will have a new leader beginning in 2016.

Kraig Paulsen, currently speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, said he will work with the College of Business next year.

Paulsen said he will take the position of director of the new Supply Chain Initiative project that provides students and local businesses the opportunity to work hands-on in the process of getting products on the shelves starting at the manufacturer stage.

David Spalding, dean of the College of Business, said students in the past three spring semesters have been given the opportunity to take a class that is similar to what the Supply Chain Initiative is aiming to implement.

The class was a short, in-depth study abroad in which students traveled to China to follow a product from the manufacturer to the distributor who put the product on shelves.

Spalding said students in the inaugural trip traveled to China where they followed a spatula from Chinese factory to a Chinese port. Then they traveled back the United States in order to follow the spatula to the port in Long Beach, Calif. then to a distributor in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Finally, the spatula arrived at the Target in Ames. 

The project was conducted during spring break, and while it was short, it was hands-on and informative, Spalding said. The Supply Chain Initiative’s goal is to provide more opportunities similar to this trip.

Paulsen said that while he is a former graduate from the College of Business with a degree in business management his connection to Iowa State began before he was born.

Paulsen’s parents lived on campus when he was born while his father was going to school at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Paulsen said. He added that he has a deep love and passion for Iowa State and its students and that he is beyond thrilled to take the director position starting Jan. 4.

Paulsen said he will take over the project and start implementing it as soon as possible in hopes of making strides within the first six months. However, he did say that implementation does take time and that the project is in its early stages.

“The plan, while being an outline [and] written in pencil, [we want] to convert to pen in the spring,” Paulsen said.

Spalding said that being involved in the program will help boost the College of Business’ notoriety and make students more employable.

“It’s more than wanting to provide opportunities,” Spalding said. “It’s wanting to build strength in these opportunities.” 

But the program is already strong.

A recent study about supply chain management research productivity published in September’s “Transportation Journal” ranked Iowa State seventh in the world for publication productivity in the field of supply chain management from 2011-2013.

Spalding said the Supply Chain Initiative is being projected as a developmental program for undergraduate students to get involved in, whether it be in a classroom setting or in a separate organization. He also said he hopes it will improve the programs standing as one of 10 fastest-growing undergraduate programs in the nation.

Paulsen and Spalding said they are both looking forward to implementing and changing the way the College of Business looks at the Supply Chain Initiative, and they are trying to make it more academically important.