Supply Chain Management

Thank you, Dr. Reck

After 32 years, Western Michigan University is saying goodbye to Dr. Robert Reck, director of the Center for Integrated Supply Management and professor of supply chain. He will retire in December.

During his time at WMU, Reck has been instrumental in developing the supply chain program, promoting its graduates’ skills and transforming the lives of thousands of students. His list of accomplishments is long and its scope is broad.

A cutting-edge program is born

Reck, along with Drs. Robert Landeros and David Lyth, founded the integrated supply management undergraduate degree program in 1992. It was the first program of its kind to integrate purchasing, operations, logistics and engineering into one comprehensive field of supply chain study. The program has continued to evolve over the years, with guidance from an executive council, consisting of a broad array of participants from recent ISM graduates to supply management executives from a variety of industries. To this day, the goal of the program remains the same: develop supply chain management professionals who can immediately make a contribution and create a competitive advantage.

National recognition

WMU's ISM program has been recognized nationally for its leadership in preparing students for careers in supply chain management. The program recently ranked No. 8 on Gartner's list of Top U.S. Supply Chain Undergraduate Programs. This distinction places it within the top tier of programs nationwide and is the third consecutive time WMU's program cracked the top 10 for this list. The ranking is released biennially and considers a supply chain program's scope—its industry value as a highly recruited school, whether students have a broad understanding of industry concepts and program size.

New supply chain master’s and graduate certificate programs

Reck helped develop the supply chain management master’s degree and certificate programs at WMU’s Punta Gorda, Florida, regional location. The new programs prepare students to take lead roles in their profession, developing, directing and evolving supply chain systems in global corporations.

ISM Day of Giving

Under Reck’s guidance, the ISM program created and executed its first annual ISM Day of Giving in 2017. This day gives students, alumni, faculty and friends of the ISM program the opportunity to, as Reck puts it, "sacrifice their coffee, lunch or happy hour funds to help with ISM student development." He believes in the importance of giving back and plans to participate in future efforts.

Reck is passing the torch to Dr. Zachary “Zac” Williams, who will serve as the new director of the Center for Integrated Supply Management and associate professor of marketing. In between hunting trips out west and enjoying time in northern Michigan, Reck plans to stay actively involved with Western and the ISM program that he helped create. Be sure to reach out to him on LinkedIn and keep in touch.

Thank you for all you have done for the WMU ISM program, Dr. Reck!