Amy Zeng

Dr. Amy Z. Zeng became the 6^th Dean of the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University in July 2020.

She is also the first female dean over the business school’s eighty-six years of history. An accomplished educator and leader in experiential and project-based learning and a recognized scholar in the fields of supply chain management and global logistics, Dr. Zeng brings to the Sawyer Business School a passion for experience-based learning, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and global engagement.

Prior to her current position, she was the Dean of the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. Prior to that, Dr. Zeng spent 19 years at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she held numerous faculty and administrative positions.

“I was an international student many years ago when I came to the States to pursue advanced degrees after I finished my K-12 and college education in Beijing, China. For girls and women with an international background, I have three messages or pieces of advice. First of all, we possess a unique cultural lens that can add additional perspective and experience in every conversation and teamwork. As such, please speak up, express your opinions and contribute your ideas whenever appropriate.                                                                                                                                                                On the other hand, the first-generation immigrants usually have very limited professional networks and connections. To that end, my second message is to diligently build your network and actively expand it by getting to know people from various industries, sectors and cultural backgrounds. In my last message, I want to emphasize the importance of work ethics and personal branding.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   It is always valuable to work hard persistently and effectively regardless of one’s racial/ethnical background. At the same time, volunteering yourself for various tasks helps you practice, polish and expand your skillset, as well as showcase your interests, passions and abilities. In the end, remember to periodically reflect on your journey and document your achievements so that you become more confident each time to move yourself up to next level and explore new opportunities.”

Dr. Zeng is a prolific scholar of more than 100 publications, including journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, and teaching cases spanning the theory, practice and pedagogy of supply chain management. Her current research interests include reverse and green supply chains, cybersecurity and information security in supply chains, and post-Covid challenges in higher-ed.

She has delivered more than 120 speeches in a wide range of locations and occasions and garnered over 3,600 Google scholar citations. She has also successfully attracted external grants for teaching innovations and research projects as well as corporate sponsorships for student projects.

Dr. Zeng completed her PhD in Business Administration from Penn State University, M.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Washington and B.S. in Industrial Management Engineering from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in China.