UMSL student Michael V. Sciaroni received the 2011 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Award for his research on the impact oil prices have on goods and services.

The price of oil directly affects the price of everything, from food to raw materials, according to University of Missouri–St. Louis doctoral student Michael V. Sciaroni.

Sciaroni explains the chain of effects oil prices have on goods and services in his dissertation, “The Impacts of Oil Prices on Supply Chain Network Design,” which received the 2011 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Award from the Supply Chain Management Research Center in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

“I think this award demonstrates the relevance of the research topic,” Sciaroni said. “In recent years, rising oil prices have had major impacts on supply chain operating environments. Rising fuel prices and raw material costs are forcing companies to rethink the way they operate extensive global supply chains. This research aims to enhance our understanding of how oil prices impact supply chains, and what mitigating responses firms may pursue to limit disruptions and re-optimize their supply chains.”

Sciaroni, a doctoral student in the logistics and supply chain management program at UMSL, is the 12th recipient of the prestigious annual award, which includes a $5,000 grant.

UMSL’s Logistics and Supply Chain Management doctoral program was established 2007 and currently has 14 full- and part-time students. Sciaroni is the first Ph.D. student in the program to advance to candidacy.

“It was a great honor to receive this award,” he said, especially considering the newness of our program and the fact that students from much larger school’s were competing. It was a real validation of the hard work that both myself and our excellent faculty have put into the PhD program.”

Sciaroni, a resident of south St. Louis, works as a graduate researcher in the Center for Transportation Studies at UMSL. In addition to the award, he and his wife welcomed their first child last month.

Recipients of the award are considered by a committee of 15 to 20 faculty reviewers, from 12 different universities. The evaluation criteria include contribution to supply chain management, likelihood of completing dissertation, theoretical basis for research and appropriateness of research design. Past recipients include doctoral candidates from the University of Oklahoma, University of Tennessee and Ohio State University.

The Supply Chain Management Research Center in the Walton College, established in 1996, is a direct link between the private sector and the University of Arkansas supply chain resources. It sponsors activities that promote both the academic and general body of knowledge encompassing supply chain management.

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Jen Hatton

Jen Hatton