UNIVERSITY PARK | Governors State University has announced a named classroom following the receipt of a $100,000 gift from CN Railroad.
CN’s gift will be used to equip a classroom for the university’s Supply Chain Management MBA program offered by the College of Business and Public Administration. Eight $2,500 fellowships for Supply Chain Management students will also be funded through the gift. CN’s support of the university will be noted on a plaque in the classroom.
GSU President Elaine P. Maimon thanked CN Railroad and said she expects other corporations to forge similar partnerships by naming classrooms and supporting educational programs preparing students for today’s global economy.
“Corporations and universities are natural partners,” Maimon said. “We provide education for a 21st century workforce and also perform research that is extremely useful to modern industries. GSU is the only public university in a large area between Bloomington and the South Side of Chicago, and this region is known as a national center for transportation and logistics. GSU helps CN and other companies by training employees who are ready for the challenges of the modern work environment.”
Jim Kvedaras, CN’s director of U.S. Government Affairs, said it was an “absolute pleasure” to assist GSU and its Supply Chain Management program.
”We need strong people to work for us,” he said. “It makes a great deal of sense to work with the university so that we’ll be able to hire qualified workers. We look upon this as an investment in our own future, and one that helps us develop future leaders in our industry.”
Kvedaras pointed out that he received his undergraduate degree from GSU and looks forward to helping students receive a quality education from the university.
CN is expanding rail operations throughout the Chicago area, and in a service region stretching from the Gulf of Mexico into Canada, Kvedaras said, adding that qualified Supply Chain Management workers are in constant demand. The railroad’s U.S. headquarters is located in south suburban Homewood.
Ellen Foster Curtis, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration, said she is excited about CN’s gift.
“This is a very generous gift,” she said “It allows us to offer a state-of-the-art program that trains professionals in transportation and logistics.”
GSU’s Supply Chain Management MBA program is 100 percent online. CN’s gift will assist GSU in delivering essential knowledge to students about forecasting and supply chain optimization, materials management, sourcing and procurement, distribution and logistics, inventory and transportation management, and cutting-edge theories and practices. With a well-rounded curriculum and accessible full-time faculty, the program is designed so students can earn their MBA in 17 months.
Further information about GSU’s Supply Chain Management MBA program is available at www.govst.edu/mbasupply or by contacting bpainfo@govst.edu or (708)534-4391.
Companies or individuals interested in partnering with Governors State University can contact Will Davis, interim chief development officer, at wdavis3@govst.edu or (708) 235-7494.
Governors State University is located at 1 University Parkway.
Please Wait…