Early Exposure to Academia and the Birth of a Dream

Growing up, I was advantaged to have one of my parents working at a university. Sometimes, because there was no one to stay with us at home, we would be carried along to work. It was during those moments that I first heard words like professor and PhD. Though I was very young, I started asking questions. What is the highest level of education a person can attain? What did professors do to become professors? A PhD was mentioned more than once. My mother once said, “You will have it one day”.  Even then, I knew that I wanted to pursue a PhD someday. The details of when, how, and where were not clear, but the desire was born early.

A Grandmother’s Circular Wisdom

My childhood was not only shaped by exposure to academia. It was grounded in the circular wisdom of my late grandmother. Her home was a living lab of circular economy and sustainability, structured in a kind of industrial symbiosis. The backyard was full of gum trees, and the front yard had eucalyptus trees whose tops hugged each other to form a shaded path where we enjoyed playing. Her compound was full of fruit trees: loquats, avocados, and guavas. The guava tree was especially important to us as children. I remember my siblings and I, together with my cousins, climbing up to enjoy the fruits.

She served us kefir from a gourd and porridge in a calabash. She taught us to boil eucalyptus leaves to fight colds and to reuse everything with a purpose. Waste from one part of the home became an input for another. I vividly remember how she grew arrowroot by digging trenches and redirecting tap water to irrigate soil that was not ideal for the crop. Her way of life reflected natural principles of recycling, regeneration, and upcycling. She lived as part of the circular economy. Looking back, she was managing her upstream supply chain.

A Brother’s Influence and Early Expression

At home, revision was a regular practice. I remember the grammar papers and storybooks we were given. One moment stands out. In Class Four, my elder brother Douglass wrote me a debate script on the common topic that a farmer is better than a teacher. When I presented it, my teachers were mesmerised by the command of the word and the structured points he had coached me on. He had excellent English and a gift for framing arguments.

My other brother, Nemwel, now Dr. Aming’a, would eventually take the path of English and literature. Their influence, together with that of my sister Edna, shaped my early confidence in expression and the discipline to prepare thoroughly. Though I never had perfect spoken English, I excelled in composition writing. My handwriting was another matter. I uncommonly shaped my letters, that my handwriting always earned me punishment from my English teacher, yet it never improved.

Discovering a Love for Numbers

In high school, my academic identity became clearer. While English remained strong, I gravitated toward mathematics and physics. I was always the best or among the best in mathematics. I became chair of the mathematics club. While my teacher, Ms. Ndege, could pull me to English literature, I found myself constantly drawn to mathematics. My teachers often selected me to represent the school in contests.

In one memorable instance, when our school hosted a mathematical competition, I taught a topic so well that the boys from Maseno and Cardinal Otunga were wowed by the different approach I used. One evening, I filled a 120-page exercise book with problems in just two hours as my friend Nancy watched in awe. If I had taken a career in pure mathematics, maybe I could be modelling stuff in some lab. Mathematics contests excited me, and for a time, I saw myself pursuing a future in mathematics.

However, my career choice was not warmly received at home. Medicine was the preferred path. Eventually, I was persuaded to take a Bachelor of Commerce instead.

Finding Direction in Business Mathematics to Specialize in Management Science

University began with frustration. As lecturers in marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship walked in, I felt completely out of place. I even began calling home and asking for a transfer. Everything changed in the third or fourth week of the semester when Mr. Ngacho, now Professor Ngacho, entered the lecture hall to teach Business Mathematics.

His style was unlike anything I had encountered. He started at the back of the class and slowly walked to the front, drawing us in as he spoke. He had no textbook in hand, yet he explained complex mathematical principles with ease and life-based relevance. In one lesson, he used Nairobi traffic lights to explain game theory, making the topic come alive with relatable examples. He brought clarity to commercial arithmetic and introduced us to Venn diagrams in a way that suddenly made sense.

His first lecture made me smile, knowing very well I would specialise in mathematics. I approached him after the class and asked if there was a mathematics track in the Bachelor of Commerce program. He smiled and introduced me to Management Science, also known as Operations Research. I knew I had found my path.

My uncles, now Dr. Aming’a’s, the twins, frowned at my choice and mentored me not once to pursue accounting or finance. But I stuck with mathematics and moved forward into Management Science.

Transitioning to Strathmore and Redefining a Discipline

Like typical Management Science classes elsewhere, there was no quorum at my university for postgraduate studies. When I saw an advert from Strathmore, I knew it was the place and I manifested. I was accepted. Here, I was mentored by many people and guided by individuals who believed in me. Dr. Wang’ombe, now Professor Wang’ombe, encouraged me even when I would speak to him about supply chain and material science.

He once gave me an assignment to develop an undergraduate degree in Management Science. I remember telling him I think the supply chain will be better positioned. He asked, “Is it the same as material science?” Then he said, you know better, run with it.  I took the bold step and spearheaded its development, supported by diverse mentorship from Dr. Wang’ombe himself, Dr. Mathuva, and Dr. Otieno. That is how today, Strathmore has a degree in supply chain. We are also graduating our second cohort of the Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain and Operations Management. I am proud and confident that those students will change the world of supply chains in amazing ways.

Many professors contributed significantly to my master’s education, but Dr. Omwenga, now Professor Omwenga, gave me a strong research foundation.

The PhD Journey and a Vision for the Future

When I completed my master’s, I knew I wanted to pursue a PhD in supply chain management. The need was evident in both academia and industry. My interest in sustainability was not only rooted in research but also deeply influenced by memories of my grandmother’s way of life, where nothing went to waste and every system supported another. I saw a future where supply chains could be reimagined with similar intentionality.

I chose to focus my research on green, closed-loop, and circular economy models within the manufacturing sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. I selected manufacturing because it is where value is created and because I had witnessed firsthand the urgent need for transformation in this sector. Throughout the process, I developed and validated an integrated framework to guide the design of sustainable and resilient supply chains.

As the research evolved, I began to uncover deeper systemic challenges. One of the most striking insights was how little sustainability and resilience are truly understood within supply chain conversations. There is a tendency to address symptoms rather than root causes, and a tendency to separate sustainability from resilience. Yet my findings showed they can be achieved in tandem, provided capabilities in cleaner production, reverse logistics, green procurement, and design for the environment are strengthened.

One surprising result was that green logistics, as currently practiced, showed no significant effect on either sustainability or resilience. This opened a new line of thought for me. In my post-PhD journey, I hope to focus exclusively on building sustainable and resilient logistics systems, rethinking how goods, information, and materials flow in ways that regenerate rather than deplete.

Where there are sustainable supply chains, I believe their future is circular and biomimetic. This philosophy is central to the next phase of my research, policy, and teaching work.

As Dr. George Njenga would say, there is a great professor above, so I would say glory to Professor God.

The Journey of Faith, Family, and Mentorship

This PhD was built on faith, love, and companionship. My copilot through it all was my partner, who sat with me through countless nights as we debated our PhDs, shared fears, and built dreams. Those conversations shaped my thinking and gave me the courage to keep going.

My firstborn daughter, Abi Gael Laika, carried me with her prayers. When I missed graduation because of one paper, she prayed daily, quoting James 5:16. Her faith was profound. In a way, she was a light in my academic darkness. She could always tease me that a shorter supply chain is a smiling supply chain, having listened to some of my presentations, and her innocent logic often had surprising depth.

I remember many mornings en route to school when she would ask, “Dr. Mummy, did your papers come out?” or “When you graduate, will you use Daddy’s name or your name?” I had never seen such faith in a small girl. Her curiosity, confidence, and belief in possibility reminded me constantly why this journey mattered. It was not just for me, but for the generations watching and learning. And then there is Adams, my nephew, who I believe loves me deeply. That love was an ingredient.

My PhD was powered by academic giants and knowledge engines. Not one, not two, but many professors supported me in different ways. Professor Kannan Govindan, now in Australia, was foundational. Professor Reuben Marwanga was a pillar. Professor Jonathan Annan was the angel God sent at the right time. Professor Tim Huh expanded my perspective. Professor Douglass Baer saw a different line of thought in me, one that many mathematical and statistical experts do not go to, and mentored me deeply in structural equation modelling. I thank all of them not only for their intellect but also for their kindness. The world needs more humane scholars.

I am also grateful to professors and scholars such as Prof. Ismail Ateya, Prof. Benard Shibwabo, Prof. Vincent Omwenga, Dr. David Mathuva, Dr. Hilda Mogire, Prof. David Asamoah, Prof. Nathaniel Boso, Prof. Kofi Andoh, Dr. Angela Ndunge, and Dr. Majid Twahir for their invaluable support in many ways.

Creating Impact Beyond Research

Strathmore is preparing to graduate its first PhD in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. I am honoured to be part of that history. Over the years, I have championed many supply chain initiatives both at the University and outside the University, and nurtured student-led platforms that continue to shape the field.  One of the most notable mentorships was ShiftToConnect, an idea by my student, Aaron Gichane, a brilliant mind.

Beyond that, I also mentored students toward the development of the first Supply Chain Club at Strathmore. Together, we laid the foundations for community building, knowledge exchange, and student-driven engagement in logistics and operations. There have been many such initiatives over the years, each fueled by a desire to grow a once-undefined field and to ensure that future generations inherit a more coherent and empowering supply chain space.

A Word to Graduates and Aspiring Scholars

To my fellow graduates, there is no difference between us and the people who engineer airplanes, cars, or medicine. We can do anything. Hope is born from the inside. Keep it alive. It is not the one who starts who is applauded, but the one who finishes well.

To those beginning the journey toward a PhD, especially in supply chain, know this. The road is not always straight. It meanders like a river, sometimes gentle, sometimes turbulent, but always shaping you along the way. We need more powerful engines in the field. Find mentors who challenge and support you. Learn from the foundations, but also challenge systems.

What Next

As for what lies ahead, I will borrow the wisdom my grandmother often shared. Conceal your plans until they are mature. I will live by that for now. But one thing is clear. The future is bright. Glory to God, the author of wisdom.

Article written by Mary Aming’a, #SUClassOf2025 PhD Graduand