Ruth Hounkpe
Ruth is a senior undergraduate at Western Illinois University (WIU) majoring in business with a focus on supply chain management. Ruth was born in Togo but grew up in Belgium, where she completed four years toward a bachelor's degree in Business engineering. She decided to change her education path when she moved to the United States after marrying her husband, an American citizen. At WIU, Ruth is a member and the secretary of the Supply Chain Management Student Association (SCMSA). Besides school activities, she is a mentee of the Lead(h)er mentorship program and works part-time at Dohrn Transfer Company as an account profitability administrator. Ruth wants to build a career in the supply chain after graduation with all the knowledge she will have gathered. She aims to maintain her passion for supply chain management with a master's degree in business administration.
Paula Penagos
Paula A. Penagos-Rodriguez is a second-year Ph.D. student in Supply Chain and Analytics at the University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL). Her research primarily revolves around the realms of freight transportation and urban logistics, with a particular emphasis on trucking and sustainable last-mile operations. Paula also investigates aspects of supply chain risk and resilience.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Paula plays an active role in the academic community. She holds a position on the Executive Board of the Supply Chain and Transportation Club at UMSL and serves as a member of the Editorial Board for the INFORMS magazine, OR/MS Tomorrow. Her passion for supply chain management and logistics stems from her desire to make a positive impact in this field. Paula is committed to academic excellence and hopes to leverage her education to drive innovation and efficiency in supply chain operations.
Sponsored by WEL St. Louis
John Helm was an invaluable member of the board of the St. Louis CSCMP Roundtable. His devotion and dedication to the success of this organization was paramount. He would want everyone to follow his lead and live life to the fullest