Andrew P. Kach, Assistant Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, has been named the 2019 recipient of the Renjen Prize for Faculty Excellence. Established through a generous gift from Punit and Heather Renjen, the Renjen Prize provides support for scholarly and creative projects and is awarded annually to a faculty member from the College of Liberal Arts or the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. The award recognizes the accomplishments of faculty members early in their careers, especially those whose work has been widely disseminated and garnered recognition in the public sphere.
At Willamette since 2016, Professor Kach has established himself as a scholar of remarkable productivity, originality, and impact with publications in such influential journals as Decision Sciences, Organizational Research Methods, and Journal of Business Logistics. Kach is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management and serves in various other editorial capacities. A true triple threat – scholar, teacher, and colleague – Andrew is widely praised for his energy, empathy, and intelligence in the classroom. He also serves as a member of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Continuous Improvement Advisory Committee and represents the Atkinson faculty on the Willamette University Board of Trustees.
Born and raised in India, Punit Renjen is a 1987 graduate of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. Renjen is Deloitte Global CEO and, through a career spanning more than 30 years, has held numerous leadership roles within Deloitte. A former member of the Willamette University Board of Trustees, Punit is active on a number of boards and currently serves as Chair of The United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees. He was named among the 100 most influential business leaders who have graduated from schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. He is married to Heather and they have a son.