The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented attention to the importance of supply chains in business, and in life, and that in turn brought increased attention to the Walton College of Business, said Brent D. Williams, the college’s new dean.
Williams, who became dean of the college at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville on Feb. 1, has done research on retail supply chains.
“While there were disruptions, I found most supply chains to be remarkably resilient during the pandemic,” he said.
“The pandemic did spotlight supply chains in a way that had not really happened previously. This affected the popularity and visibility of the Walton College’s supply chain management program. The timing of the pandemic coincided with our undergraduate program being ranked No. 1 in North America by Gartner for the first time in 2020.
“Supply chain management is now one of fastest-growing undergraduate and graduate programs in the university. Now more than ever, I think students understand the impact that supply chains have on our everyday lives. There seems to be a different appreciation every time the right product is on the retailer’s shelf or our doorstep when we need it. The Walton College is fortunate to be a leader in supply chain management.”
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