Ozgun C. Demirag, a faculty member with more than 15 years of experience in teaching, research and academic leadership, has been appointed director of Penn State Behrend’s Black School of Business, where she has taught since 2009.
Demirag had led the school as interim director since 2023. She also serves as the Samuel A. and Elizabeth B. Breene Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management.
She previously served as associate director of undergraduate programs and faculty affairs.
Before joining the Black School of Business, where she has taught courses in integrated business analysis, global operations and supply chain management, Demirag taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She also conducted research for Norfolk Southern Corp.
“Ozgun is the perfect fit to lead the Black School of Business, where a learn-by-doing approach prepares our graduates to be leaders in a constantly evolving business landscape,” said Greg Filbeck, vice chancellor and associate dean for academic affairs. “Her experience in the classroom and in administrative roles provides a clear and interdisciplinary vision for how to build on the programs that already set our graduates apart.”
The Black School of Business is the only business school in the region that is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, or AACSB, the premier accrediting agency for business education worldwide. The school’s programs rank among the top 10% in the nation, in terms of financial return, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce.
Demirag holds a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering and master’s degrees in industrial engineering and operations research, all from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Middle East Technical University, in Ankara, Turkey.
Her research, which includes applications of game theory in supply chain management and the design and analysis of transportation, logistics and inventory systems, has been published in Operations Research, Production and Operations Management, the European Journal of Operational Research and the International Journal of Management Science, among other publications. She has held editorial roles with
journals in her field and has received awards for her reviewing contributions.
In 2022, she co-authored the book “Supply Chain Management: Securing A Superior Global Edge.”
In 2021, Demirag was the recipient of both the Penn State Excellence in Academic Advising Award and the Penn State Behrend Council of Fellows Excellence in Research Award.
“I am honored to lead the Black School of Business,” Demirag said, “and I look forward to collaborating with our students, faculty, staff, alumni and advisory boards to further enrich our programs, advance opportunities for industry and community partnerships, and enhance our regional and global impact on business and society.”
The Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend offers 11 four-year bachelor’s degrees, three master’s degrees and an associate degree in general business. The school’s outreach centers include the Economic Research Institute of Erie, Partnership Erie, the Center for Family Business and the Center for Financial Literacy. To learn more about the school and its programs, visit behrend.psu.edu/school-of-business.
