CETL Info Session at the College of Business Administration

On October 15th, 2026, the Center of Excellence for Transportation and Logistics (CETL), with the help of student association APICS, paid a visit to the College of Business Administration at UPRM to talk about the importance of business administration students in transportation and logistics (T&L), as well as share the opportunities and benefits available to business students at CETL. With 45 participants, plus 30 more, at the information table two days earlier, the info session was a complete success.

As a precursor to the information session, CETL’s business administration students Ana P. Oquendo and Gianna P. Fagundo hosted an information table on October 13 at the College of Business Administration to spark students’ interest in CETL’s opportunities.

Kicking off the session, Business Administration professor and CETL-affiliated faculty Prof. Benjamin Rosa gave a crash course in supply chain (SC) and the different ways students can become involved. The presentation highlighted the different aspects of the SC and how it affects the islands day-to-day. Prof. Rosa emphasized the importance of a healthy and stable SC, especially in Puerto Rico where vital merchandise is imported every day.

To further develop talent in T&L, a new course is projected to be offered in the spring semester, GERE 4110: Transportation and Logistics in the Supply Chain. This course is core for the two T&L proposed Minors: Minor in Supply Chain Management and Minor in Transportation and Logistics. So far UPRM has a course offering of 49 T&L related courses across different disciplines. Out of the 49 courses, 19 are in the College of Business Administration.

After an enriching presentation from Prof. Rosas, CETL graduate student, Rosa Laureano, presented “Estudia lo que quieras y Aplícalo a transportación y logística” (“Study What You Want and Apply It to Transportation and Logistics”). The title of this presentation is an important motto for CETL’s mission as it highlights the interdisciplinary nature of T&L. The presentation started off asking students to think about how many stops coffee grounds need to take before landing in their cup. Who makes sure the correct amount is shipped? Who is in charge clients receive their coffee? From harvesting to transportation to distribution to customers’ cups, the coffee grounds needed to pass through the hands of hundreds of capable workers and travel large distances all coordinated by professionals in transportation and logistics.

The takeaway points of the information session were that CETL leads to the development of talent and innovation within T&L, as well as serving as a hub with the industry. CETL invites business administration students to make the most of the research and work opportunities available, emphasizing the crucial role they play in logistics. The first step should be to participate in CETL’s Talent Bank, an electronic repository of resumes to access hands-on experiences. As a result of this visit, the number of business administration students in the Talent Bank grew from 3 to 26.

From left to right: CETL-affiliate Prof. Benjamin Rosas, APICS President Lorraine Porrata, CETL representatives Tatiana Pinzón, Ana Oquendo, Gianna Fagundo, Rosa Laureano, Carlos Álvarez and CETL-affiliate professor, Dr. Patricia Valentín.