AWESOME educator reaches back to inform and inspire future leaders

October 23, 20192 minute read

The University of Arkansas recently hosted a two-day symposium for WISE (Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence) Future Leaders. The event was organized by Stephanie Thomas, Clinical Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management at Arkansas and a member of the AWESOME community.

Fifty students and 15 faculty members from 12 schools attended. The schools represented were Michigan State, Penn State, Colorado State, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Miami (OH), Texas Tech, TCU, BYU, Iowa State, Auburn, and University of South Florida.

“It’s so exciting to see the growing interest in a supply chain career among talented young women,” said Heather Sheehan, AWESOME Executive Director. “That growth doesn’t just happen. It’s inspired by a leader such as Stephanie Thomas taking the initiative to create something that connects students to all the opportunities and rewards the field offers. When we talk about ‘reaching back’ to build the pipeline of future women leaders, that’s exactly what we mean.”

Highlights of the event included a tour of the Walmart Home Office and Walmart Museum, a panel discussion by senior women leaders of J.B. Hunt Transport, a presentation by Dana Stiffler on the talent implications of future supply chains and key findings of the AWESOME/Gartner Women in Supply Chain Research, and additional sessions on a range of topics, including mentoring, the impact of sustainability, and using LinkedIn to build a personal brand, Two other members of the AWESOME community who are J.B. Hunt executives – Tami Allensworth, SVP of Customer Experience, and Shelly Simpson, Chief Commercial Officer – played key roles.

Among the participants were two AWESOME Scholars from University of Arkansas – McKenzie Meehan, a 2019 Scholar, and Monica Sewell, a 2018 Scholar.

To read students’ impressions of the event, use #wisefutureleaders on Twitter.