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President Joe Biden celebrated Thursday a tentative labor agreement that averted a strike of U.S. freight trains. But the crisis has not yet been averted, warns Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply chain management at Northeastern.

A new supply of baby formula will bring much-needed relief to families across the country. While it's not a quick solution, Nada Sanders of Northeastern says, it's a great first step.

The pandemic, along with the war in Ukraine, caused supply chain issues that led to some ingredients and packaging materials becoming less available. How do we prevent it from happening again? Northeastern faculty weigh in.

President Joe Biden has ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the country's petroleum stockpile for the next six months to combat the nation's oil crisis as the Russian war in Ukraine marches toward its third month. But some, including two Northeastern professors, question whether Biden was right to do so.

If the COVID-19 pandemic showed businesses that depend on offshore production anything, it's that one stoppage along these vast delivery channels can propagate across the entire system, Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern, said in the annual Robert D. Klein Lecture on Tuesday.

Surging oil and gas prices will spill over into the supply chains for just about everything that has to be carted around the world, says Nada Sanders, university distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern. In the case of bananas—which have a “very long” footprint—the story is a complicated one.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine extends into its fourth week, its effect on global supply chains—already beleaguered by the COVID-19 pandemic—is only just beginning. “This is going to have a significant impact,” says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern. “I'm extremely concerned.”

Spencer Fung, who runs a Hong Kong-based supply-chain manager, spoke to Northeastern students about the future of the global supply chain as businesses contend with a host of disruptions—from the continued rise of e-commerce to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supermarkets and food banks complement one another in the U.S. food supply chain, a Northeastern professor studying food waste says. By donating less-than-perfect fruits and vegetables to food banks, supermarkets replenish their shelves with higher-priced, higher-quality goods, thus boosting profits.