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| SGVEP Chair Anita Gabrielian and Kent Valley, of Majestic Realty, present Ortiz with the award. |
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| (From Left) Valley, Ortiz and Bob Kuhn of the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority. |
Area leaders have such high hopes for the College of Business Administration's supply chain management lab that they have honored the university before the lab's doors have opened.
On Friday, Sept. 28, the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership gave Cal Poly Pomona the Innovative Solutions Award for building the state-of-the-art lab.
Hundreds of guests attended the gala and eight other organizations were honored for contributing to the quality of life and economic vitality of the San Gabriel Valley region. Other recipients included Southern California Edison, Wescom Credit Union and the City of Pasadena. Cal Poly Pomona was the only educational institution to receive recognition.
University President Michael Ortiz and College of Business Administration Dean David Klock attended the reception and accepted the award on behalf of Cal Poly Pomona.
“As a polytechnic university, our students and faculty thrive on taking on projects that make a difference in the community,” Klock said. “The supply chain management lab is another example of our learn-by-doing approach to education.
“This award is also recognition of the excellent work and scholarship of Dr. Abolhassan Halati and the faculty of the Technology and Operations department,” Klock added.
The lab will expose Technology and Operations Management students to several new and emerging technologies in supply chain management, most notably Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). RFID technology enables wireless monitoring of goods through microchip tags and it has proven to be a more efficient method of tracking than the bar code process.
A $315,000 grant from the Industry Manufacturers Council and businessman Kent Valley of Majestic Realty helped the College of Business Administration build the lab that is expected to open in early 2008.
In presenting the award, San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership President Ron Wood praised Cal Poly Pomona and said the university has been a team player with the business community.
RFID technology “is invaluable to virtually all manufacturers, distributors, transportation companies and retailers throughout the San Gabriel Valley, Inland Empire and beyond,” Wood said. “Through this program, Cal Poly truly is preparing its students to become successful mangers in the business world now and in the future.”