UA Operations Management Students Headed for Toronto Conference

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Two students from The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce management program will attend the 2009 APICS International Conference and Expo in Toronto in October, courtesy of the Birmingham Chapter of APICS-The Association for Operations Management.

Michael Wilson and Corey Barron, both seniors and classmates from Muscle Shoals majoring in operations management, will be sponsored by the Birmingham chapter to attend the conference and expo as student scholars.

Dr. Charles R. Sox, professor of operations management, and William Petty, instructor and undergraduate coordinator in operations management, are members of the board of directors of the APICS Birmingham Chapter.

“This is will be a great opportunity for these young men to enhance their marketability and, at the same time, be part of the largest annual gathering of operations management professionals,” Petty said.  “They will be exposed to all facets of the profession, from the global aspect to forecasting to the necessity of lean operations in this economic climate.”

Operations management is concerned with the production of goods and services, and it is responsible for making sure business operations are as efficient as possible, conserve and save resources, and meet customer requirement and deadlines.

The Birmingham Chapter of APICS-The Association for Operations Management serves Birmingham and other communities in central Alabama.  The APICS organization is the global leader in operations management knowledge and is the certifying organization for people who work in the operations management arena, including production, inventory, supply chain, materials management, purchasing and logistics.

Barron, who said he plans to enroll in the UA operations management graduate program in the fall, is spending the summer working as an intern at Frito-Lay in the company’s supply and distribution area.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to attend the International APICS Conference this fall,” Barron said. “The conference features information from some of the most well known and respected members of the operations management field. This is an opportunity to understand how the global economy affects jobs in this field and the chance to see the role technology plays in everyday business.”

Wilson, who also is earning a minor in computer technology and applications, said he is interested in learning more about the international aspects of operation management.

“I think it will be a great opportunity to see the different facets of international life,” he said. Wilson said he and his family lived for several years in Saudi Arabia where his father was a hospital administrator.

“I plan to get into the international side of operations management,” Wilson said.  Wilson said he enrolled at UA for the finance program. “I was just sort of feeling my way around. Corey was in the operations management program so I talked to some people and took Operations Management 300 and fell in love with it.”

Wilson is president of the Society of Operation Management students at UA.

“There is always going to be a need for optimization of resources and helping companies reduce waste and run more efficiently,” Wilson said, “and I am excited to be a part of that.”