Profiles: Chenchen (Vivian) Li

Chenchen Li

MS Operations & Supply Chain Management 11

Engineer at Tech Mahindra

Studying the Solar Power Industry

Why did you choose to attend GGU?

GGU is professional in the Operations Management area, and has the unique program "Project and Systems Management". The professors in GGU are seasoned industry professionals. The school is in a great area in San Francisco. Most of my classmates have work experience. Studying at GGU gives me a sense of city pace.

Are you participating in an internship?

Yes, I'm currently working at an internship with Rick Underwood, VP of Regional Sales, MIQ Logistics.

Graduate student, Jason Ha, and I presented last month at the Bay Area's first ever Solar Supply Chain Conference in Sunnyvale, Calif. We presented our internship project findings about the supply chain practices in the solar power equipment industry in California including sourcing, logistics, assembly, and installation services such as repair and returns.

We found that this industry is advancing in technology on a similar pace to 'Moore's Law' in microprocessor technology, predicting that market growth will be huge, and that production of solar equipment is expanding to international sources more rapidly than the computer industry did when it began in California, putting more emphasis on supplier management.

The project researches the current supply chain management procedures, networks, and resources used to support the service of the entire life cycle of solar equipment. We sent out a questionnaire about the practices involved in the solar equipment supply chain to over 260 solar industry companies. With the results of the questionnaire, we found the common challenges and opportunities of the solar equipment supply chain. What advice can you give current students about finding a good internship? When looking for an internship, be flexible and open to any opportunity, and get ready for opportunity. Attend events, conference, and seminars -- you may get to know the person who will sponsor your internship.

Why do you like this field?

I like managing my time and efforts against very specific deliverables, and working in multiple departments or areas. Project management fulfills both of them and has challenges every day. It's an exciting field.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Volunteering for PKBI Harm Reduction HIV/AIDS group last year

What excites you?

I enjoy solving problems and finishing tasks. Sometimes the tasks are many and trivial, but it is very rewarding when the team members appreciate the work.