University of Arkansas Hosts First WISE Future Leader Symposium

David Speer

Young women from 13 universities gathered for the first WISE Future Leader Symposium.

The first WISE Future Leader Symposium brought 50 students and 15 faculty members from 13 universities to the University of Arkansas in October to discuss and help chart the course of supply chain management into the third decade of the 21st century.

WISE is an acronym for Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence, an organization that nurtures and encourages female participation in the field. It was formed at the University of Arkansas and continues to spread its influence and impact in colleges and universities throughout the United States.

The symposium was created and planned by Stephanie Thomas, WISE faculty adviser and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

"It was exciting just to be in the room to hear all those fresh ideas and enthusiasm around supply chain management from those outstanding young women," Thomas said.

"The inaugural WISE Future Leader Symposium brought together talented supply chain students and faculty from universities all over the United States," she said. "Attendees enjoyed meeting each other, learning from current supply chain leaders, and experiencing the abundance of beauty and resources in Northwest Arkansas."

Keynote speaker for the event was Shelley Simpson, executive vice president, chief commercial officer, and president, Highway Services, at J. B. Hunt Transport, Inc. Other industry participants included CH Robinson, Walmart, Kellogg's, Modthink Marketing, Nestle, Transplace, Reckitt Benckiser and Tyson Foods.

The conference was organized around the four strategic initiatives of WISE: making connections, professional development, leadership skills, and industry knowledge through activities, speakers, sessions and events.

Students and faculty at the symposium represented:

• University of Arkansas
• Auburn University
• Brigham Young University
• Colorado State University
• Iowa State University
• Michigan State University
• Mississippi State University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Texas Christian University
• Texas Tech University
• University of Miami, Ohio
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Southern Florida

Support for the symposium came from business and industry and from the Walton College. "We couldn't have done it without the help of J. B. Hunt Transport, Inc., Walmart and Gartner," Thomas said. "And the support from the Walton College and from our Supply Chain Management Research Center was phenomenal."

A second WISE Future Leader Symposium is scheduled for October 2020 at the University of Arkansas. "The second WISE Future Leaders Symposium is going to be bigger and better," Thomas said. "I am confident that the students, faculty, universities and organizations that embrace this have the potential to make a generational impact."