Blue Yonder and University of Arkansas join forces to strengthen supply chain education
Blue Yonder, a global provider of digital supply chain solutions, has entered a two-year partnership with the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
As part of the agreement, Blue Yonder will serve as the first title sponsor for the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management Program within the J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management.
The partnership is designed to provide students with real-world insights into supply chain technology and operations while also supporting the professional development of Blue Yonder employees.
Supply chain education
Through this collaboration, the Walton College will integrate Blue Yonder’s supply chain technologies into its coursework, allowing students to gain hands-on experience with industry tools. Blue Yonder executives will also contribute to guest lectures and curriculum development while participating in the university’s Supply Chain Management Research Center.
Blue Yonder’s senior vice president, Jon Carson, emphasized the significance of the partnership in shaping future supply chain professionals:
“Blue Yonder is investing heavily in product innovations, so it only makes sense that we invest in the talent that will support these innovations. As an innovator, Blue Yonder will be able to steer the future discipline of supply chain management through this partnership. A key part of that will be helping to prepare students for essential roles in sourcing, planning, and logistics, including developing a better understanding of how to work with leading-edge technology like artificial intelligence, generative AI, machine learning and more to better understand their impacts on the supply chain.
“Our combined goal with the University of Arkansas is to lead these students to great career opportunities as supply chains continue to grow in importance within company boardrooms. We couldn’t be more excited for the future of supply chain management with Blue Yonder and the University of Arkansas.”
Investment in talent development
Blue Yonder will also use the partnership to enhance the skills of its global workforce. A select number of Blue Yonder employees will enroll in the university’s fully online Master of Science in Supply Chain Management program. This initiative is intended to provide employees with advanced supply chain expertise that they can immediately apply to their roles.
Brian Fugate, associate dean for graduate school programs and research at Walton College, highlighted the mutual benefits of the program:
“Being able to welcome high-achieving Blue Yonder global supply chain associates into our program will not only allow these employees to start applying what they learn in the classroom back into their workday but will also help us by elevating the online cohort.
“Not only will this strategic agreement benefit the students in our master’s program, but through Blue Yonder’s involvement in our Supply Chain Management Research Center, our No. 1-ranked undergraduate students will also be positively impacted through access to the world leader in digital supply chain transformation.”
Nathalie Carruthers, chief associate success officer of Blue Yonder, added:
“We have an opportunity to help impact the pool of supply chain talent by partnering with the University of Arkansas, which is the No. 1 undergraduate and No. 2 graduate supply chain program in North America (as ranked by Gartner).
“This is a great opportunity for us to help infuse early career talent with the supply chain knowledge and real-world expertise they need to power the supply chains of tomorrow. We are excited to see where this partnership goes and how, together, we can impact and mold future talent.”
