Business Faculty Named to INFORMS Ambassadors Program, Use Grant Funding to Advance Diversity in Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics Careers
Afrooz Moatari-Kazerouni, assistant professor of operations and supply chain management, and Jeff Lolli, associate dean for undergraduate programs and professor of sport and event management, received grant funding from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) to expose high school students to careers in supply chain management and business analytics with a particular focus on first-generation students and students of color. Moatari-Kazerouni and Lolli were one of only nine projects to be accepted and funded as part of the 2025 INFORMS Ambassadors program which aims to create long lasting pathways of inclusion in supply chain management and business analytics careers.
Presently, representation of first-generation students and students of color is limited in these fields due to barriers in access to mentorship which can hinder a sense of belonging for students interested in these career fields. Moatari-Kazerouni and Lolli took nearly 40 area high school students for a behind-the-scenes tour of the NFI Distribution Center in Hillsboro, New Jersey, whose primary client is L’Oreal Groupe. Students experienced real-world supply chain management and business analytics applications and engaged with Widener faculty and industry professionals. The group took a tour of the facility, learned about industry safety protocols, attended a career insights panel, and more.