Stephanie Zobac

Dr. Stephanie Zobac works as Supply Chain Specialist at ALDI Corporate Headquarters in Batavia, IL. In this role, she works closely with Aldi's supply chain and buying teams, suppliers, and the ALDI divisions to improve the company's availability and efficiency across the supply chain. Key responsibilities from this role include: complex project management; working closely with national buying and suppliers to address supply issues and improve product availability; creating forecasts and overseeing supplier demand planning; utilizing analytical tools to improve delivery performance and monitor inventory levels; and leading collaboration meetings to improve the supply chain process. 

Before shifting to the Supply Chain Team, Stephanie worked as an Associate Buyer at Aldi, serving as the primary liaison between internal and external parties, solving product supply and payment issues, and executing multi-million dollar contracts in both the legacy database and SAP systems to ensure products are available in 2,200+ stores. She worked closely with various offices to bring products to shelf, including Supply Chain Management, Quality Assurance, Merchandising, Logistics, the Kitchen, and National Services. Key responsibilities from this role included exploring new products to contracting core range and seasonally-based items; addressing supply chain and inventory issues; collaborating with private-label and brand suppliers to meet customers' needs and preferences; and executing 50+ contracts per year to improve the availability and gross profit of the Baking Ingredient and Prepared Dessert portfolios. 

Previously, Stephanie worked in higher education for over a decade. Most recently, she served as the Associate Director for Student Success and Academic Services at North Central College. She worked to develop the academic advising office and helped lead the team's advising and retention efforts for all undergraduate students at the College. Stephanie also has experience with Alumni Engagement, serving as the Alumni Engagement Office with the goal of helping to foster connections and engagement between North Central College alumni and their alma mater. Prior to North Central, Stephanie served as the Associate Director of the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning at Northern Illinois University where she coordinated high impact practices (HIPs) such as learning communities, undergraduate research programs, service learning, international travel grants, and student leadership programs.

Stephanie has taught undergraduate and master’s courses throughout the last decade. Her primary teaching interests are in business, organizational leadership, leadership development, higher education, career development, and student success.

Stephanie earned a bachelor's degree from North Central College (2010), master's in education from Marquette University (2012), and her doctorate in philosophy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Education Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education (2021). In line with her position with ALDI in Buying and Supply Chain Management, she completed her MBA from Western Illinois University (AASCB accredited) with an emphasis in Supply Chain Management (2023).

Selected Scholarship

Zobac, S. (May, 2021). "I Always Felt Like I Belonged:” A Case Study on a First-Generation Focused Student Success Program, Dissertation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsedaddiss/338

Niehaus, E., Williams, L., Zobac, S., Young, M., & Fullerton, A. (2019). Exploring the predictors of sense of belonging in Trinidad and Tobago. Journal of College Student Development, 60(5), 577-594.

Pridgen, R., Zobac, S., & Niehaus, E. (Accepted). Promoting belonging, growth mindset, and resilience to foster student success [Review of the book]. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.

Zobac, S., Smith, K., Spears, J., and Rode, D. (2016). Need a little TLC?: Incorporating first-year seminars in Themed Learning Communities. In Chism Schmidt, L. & Graziano, J. (Eds), Building Synergy for High-Impact Educational Initiatives: First-Year Seminars and Learning Communities (151-157). Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina. National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.

Spears, J., Zobac, S., Spillane, A., Thomas, S. (2015). Marketing Learning Communities to Generation Z: The importance of face-to-face interaction in a digitally driven world. Learning Communities Research and Practice, 3(1), 1-10.

Zobac, S., Spears, J., Barker, G. (2014). Identical Profiles, Different Paths: Addressing Self-selection Bias in Learning Community Cohorts. Learning Communities Research and Practice, 2(1), 1-13.

Courses Taught

Leadership and Organizational Theory (MORG 500)

Evidence-Based Decision Making (MORG 575)

High Potential Leadership Coaching (MORG 600)

Innovative Training and Development (MORG 650)

Design Thinking for Social Impact (LEAD 100)

Social Innovation (LEAD 200)

Cardinal Careers (CARD 250)

Student Development and Campus Culture (MHED 630)