Darby chosen to present at retail leaders conference

Colleen Darby, a junior majoring in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, recently was selected as one of only eight students nationwide to participate in the Retail Industry Leaders Association Conference and Scholarship Program.  Selection was a rigorous two-step process that required an interview with a sponsor.  Darby applied to be sponsored by Wal-Mart and was notified of her acceptance in early December 2012.  A representative from Wal-Mart will serve as a mentor for Darby throughout this process.  Other scholarship sponsors include TOTE, Inc.; Canadian Tire Corporation; Yusen Logistics; National Retail Systems; Exel; S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.; and H-E-B.

The RILA program allows eight students to work together during the spring semester then present a project proposal at the annual RILA Conference.  The theme for the students this year is “Incorporating Technology and Social Media into the Supply Chain.”  The students will conduct research and assess trends in technology and social media.

Darby and her fellow students have collaborated via web chat, email and telephone to get the proje

ct rolling.  “It can be difficult as we are all in different states at this time. One student is even on study away this semester, so the time difference can be a challenge,” Darby says.  Other students hail from Villanova University, the University of Southern California, Auburn University, Shippensburg University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Austin and St. Francis Xavier University.

Darby says this already has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  “The opportunities I have had for networking are amazing. Part of the research for the project requires interviews with executive-level employees. I have already had the chance to speak with Paul Minor, the vice president of transportation for PetCo, and will be interviewing individua

ls from Proctor & Gamble and Wal-Mart soon.”  This summer, Darby will also participate in an internship in the supply chain and logistics areas of Wal-Mart.  Darby expects to graduate in December and hopes to have a job in her field lined up by then. Watch this newsletter for an update on her experiences from the conference later this semester.