Carlos Mena, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at Portland State University's School of Business, will spend five months at Copenhagen Business School studying how the world's ports and shipping companies can become both greener and more resilient.
When a container ship gets stuck, a storm shuts down a port, or a war reroutes global trade, the ripple effects land everywhere from grocery store shelves to gas pumps. For Carlos Mena, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at Portland State University's School of Business, those disruptions are not abstractions - they are the puzzle he has spent his career trying to solve. Now, a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award will send him to Denmark to help solve it on a global stage.
Mena has been named a recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Maritime Supply Chains, one of the most competitive and prestigious international exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, he will spend five months in residence at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), hosted by the Department of Operations Management and CBS Maritime, one of the world's leading academic hubs for shipping and maritime research.
His project takes aim at one of the thorniest challenges facing global trade: how to make maritime supply chains both more sustainable and more resilient at the same time - without forcing companies to choose between the two.
“Denmark sits at the crossroads of global shipping, and CBS Maritime has some of the sharpest thinking anywhere on how ports and carriers can operate more sustainably without sacrificing resilience,” Mena said. “I want to bring that thinking back to Portland — to help our students and our region’s businesses navigate a supply chain landscape that keeps getting less predictable.”
During his appointment, Mena will conduct a comparative study of leading practices across Danish ports, shipping companies, and maritime service providers, benchmarking them against U.S. counterparts. The goal is an evidence-based framework that organizations on both sides of the Atlantic can use to strengthen environmental performance and operational resilience together, rather than treating them as competing priorities.
Beyond his own research, Mena plans to stay closely engaged with the academic community at CBS, delivering guest lectures, leading research seminars, and collaborating directly with CBS faculty and graduate students. He sees that exchange of ideas as just as valuable as the research findings themselves.
“The best part of a Fulbright isn’t just what you bring home in your suitcase - it’s the relationships you build,” Mena said. “I’m hoping this becomes the start of something lasting between CBS and PSU: joint research, student exchanges, maybe even projects that connect our supply chain students directly with Danish industry.”
Back in Portland, Mena's colleagues say the award reflects both his standing in the field and the kind of global engagement The School of Business wants to model for its students.
“Carlos has always pushed us to think about supply chains as a global system, not just a local one, and this Fulbright is a natural extension of that,” said Qing Hu, Dean of the Portland State University School of Business. “Having him embedded at CBS Maritime for five months means our students, faculty, and regional partners all benefit from the connections and insights he brings back.”
“We take real pride in seeing our faculty recognized at this level,” Hu added. “It’s a signal to prospective students and partners that PSU is doing work that matters well beyond Portland.”
Mena's award arrives as the Fulbright Program marks its 80th anniversary in 2026 - a milestone that coincides with America's 250th anniversary celebration. Established in 1946 as an investment in global peace and mutual understanding through educational exchange, Fulbright has since sent scholars to more than 160 countries and locations. Its alumni include 46 heads of state or government, 63 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 83 MacArthur Fellows.
Fulbright U.S. Scholars are accomplished faculty, researchers, administrators, and professionals who teach or conduct research in partnership with institutions abroad. Many, like Mena, return home to become champions of international collaboration on their own campuses — hosting visiting scholars and encouraging colleagues and students to pursue opportunities overseas.
Mena's Fulbright is administered by the Institute of International Education on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, with support from participating governments, host institutions, and corporate and foundation partners around the world.
The deadline to apply for 2027-2028 Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards is September 15, 2026. More information on Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards and eligibility is available at fulbrightscholars.org.