Two faculty members of the Department of Supply Chain Management in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas have been recognized in a peer-reviewed paper as two of the top researchers in their field.

The paper, "Supply Chain Research Leadership: The Ranked Agents and Their Networks," recognized Remko Van Hoek and Brian Fugate for their published papers and research.

Fugate is department chair, professor and holder of the Oren Harris Chair in Transportation. Van Hoek is a professor of practice in the Department of Supply Chain Management.

Van Hoek was ranked 37th on "publication score" in the paper published in Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Publication score accounts for the number of papers on which the individual is included as an author across seven journals over the period of 2001-2015 and the quality of the journals based on each journal's ABS Academic Journal Guide rating score.

Fugate was ranked 22nd on "Bonocich power centrality," which in this case measured the influence or prominence of authors in the SCM network of researchers. This measure was compiled through a network analysis that highlighted the potential of a researcher "to stimulate research and the quality of research outcomes by serving as hubs of connectivity and informational bridges between entities engaged in supply chain research."

The Walton College supply chain management department is ranked 11th among departments at public business colleges in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. The department is uniquely positioned by its proximity to more than 300 Fortune 500 companies that have established operations in Northwest Arkansas.

Northwest Arkansas is integral to the world's supply chain industry. Beyond faculty expertise in these areas, Walton students benefit from the college's Supply Chain Management Research Center, which connects students to industry executives leading to job opportunities, internships or other support.

Van Hoek earned a Ph.D. from University of Utrecht in economics. His research includes procurement strategy with a focus on supplier-centered innovation, relationships between buyers and their suppliers and the development of procurement and supply chain leaders. His work has been published in the Journal of Business Logistics, International Journal of Logistics Management and Harvard Business Review, among other journals. He also co-authored the textbook, Logistics Management and Strategy.

Fugate earned a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in logistics after receiving an M.B.A. in logistics and marketing and a B.S. in industrial engineering. His work focuses on global integration of demand and supply and sustainability across the food supply chain. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Business Logistics, Journal of Supply Chain Management, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Operations Management, Decision Sciences, among other journals. He is the co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Supply Chain Management, which has been ranked #1 or #2 in the operations and supply chain management discipline over the past nine years.