Sabrina Archer, MSCM '22/Space Systems MEng '22
Sabrina Archer was no stranger to the University of Michigan upon joining Michigan Ross as a graduate student. She had attended U-M as an undergraduate student, where her time as a Wolverine was partly devoted to helping others follow suit. Sabrina regularly conducted group tours as a Campus Day Leader, acting as a knowledgeable face of the university. As she gave these tours to prospective students, she often took notice of the Michigan Ross campus.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry through the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and Arts, Sabrina’s academic journey took an unconventional turn: she decided to pursue both a master of supply chain management and a master of engineering. Space systems engineering had always been her first love, with procurement and production following closely behind. Obtaining dual master's degrees in engineering and supply chain management seemed like a logical option — especially given her dream of joining Boeing.
Sabrina credited the Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) program for making her dual degree possible. She noted that students can build their schedules as preferred and create time for other pursuits:
There are a lot of opportunities to take electives in other schools — to explore other interests, or to tack on an entire other degree! Especially because the program is only a year long, it made it easy to pair it with another year-long program.
Explaining the Michigan Ross Difference
Why Michigan Ross? Sabrina highlighted the campus and community. She was initially struck by its energetic atmosphere and sense of collaboration: student teams working on projects in the Winter Garden, professors and students chatting in line at the onsite Starbucks.
There was something that felt really prestigious and unique even walking through Ross...there were so many intelligent people there who have made a big impact in the business world.
She also said that the Ross commitment to action-based learning isn’t just window dressing. Sabrina explained how her coursework favors hands-on exercises with real companies. Accordingly, she gained the opportunity to work with a top aerospace startup — after only two weeks in the program.
Sabrina’s client project focused on developing parts inventory strategies. Her Technology & Operations 582 course emphasized around-the-clock collaboration with leaders in spacecraft technology. While initially intimidating, she said the support she received from her peers and industry leaders was invaluable.
This kind of group work is core to the MSCM program; Sabrina said it was an adjustment at first: "I was shocked at how involved it was." As she explained, “A lot of my time outside of class was spent working with my teams on assignments or case studies.” However, this quickly became routine as she settled into the program.
Sabrina also noted her professors' industry expertise, as well as their willingness to get to know students. As she said, professors “want to hear about your real-world experience and how you’ve connected the dots to what you’re doing in class.” She described the program as having a close-knit feel.
...One of our professors is considered one the founders of supply chain, and I just thought that’s so unique—and it made me really excited to take classes from people who were so highly regarded in the field.
Extracurricular Experiences
Sabrina’s involvement in the program goes beyond the classroom. She served as the MSCM Student Association president. This leadership role has allowed her to connect with peers and familiarize international students with Ann Arbor.
Her favorite experiences have involved planned events — most notably a "getting-to-know-you"-style trivia game. Despite hosting the event virtually, it was a major hit with her class. Sabrina was heartened to see classmates bond so eagerly, regardless of their backgrounds or discussion topics.
We put this game together and I was really nervous that no one was going to come, because we put a lot of effort into it—and almost the entire class came to the event. We had a blast...and afterwards, we were on the call for [maybe] 2.5 hours. We were just chatting about everything, and I think it really helped bring us closer together.
And, despite her packed course schedule, Sabrina found time to participate in a variety of other club activities.
Building a Strong Professional Foundation
After graduation, Sabrina plans to pursue a career in aerospace. She believes her supply chain expertise will be beneficial on the manufacturing side — where logistics, production, and seamless coordination are integral.
In the meantime, Sabrina is serving as a global supply chain intern with Lockheed Martin. She credits her education for unlocking the opportunity and is thrilled to make her mark as a woman in STEM.
What advice would Sabrina give prospective students interested in the MSCM program? “Definitely reach out to [any of the student success advisors]. They always respond to my emails super fast and answer any question.”