Jessica Darby

Education

•      PhD, Supply Chain Management, University of Arkansas
•      MBA, Supply Chain Management & Finance, University of Arkansas 
•      BSBA, Business Economics, University of Arkansas

Professional Activities

Jessica L. Darby is an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management and Dean’s Fellow within Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business.

Her research explores how institutions, such as government, regulatory agencies, and financial markets, influence supply chain operations and decision-making. Darby's industry background as a commodity analyst sparked her interest in this space, and her research examines important contexts ranging from agriculture to retail and manufacturing to healthcare. Her research has been published in leading supply chain management journals, including Manufacturing & Service Operations Management and Production and Operations Management. Her research has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal and attracted the attention of high-ranking officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In 2024, Auburn University awarded Darby the Emerging Faculty Creative Research and Scholarship Award, which recognizes early-career faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in research, scholarly work, and creative contributions. Darby was also awarded the Harbert College of Business Rising Faculty Scholar Research Award and the Department of Supply Chain Management’s Outstanding Research Award.

Darby serves as a Guest Editor, Associate Editor, and member of three editorial review boards at leading supply chain management journals. She has been recognized as an Outstanding Associate Editor and Best Reviewer.  

Darby brings her experience and research into the classroom, where she teaches students how to analyze the impacts of current events on global supply chain operations and recommend supply chain strategies to manage change in an increasingly uncertain environment. Her mission is to prepare students to thrive in the real world, where they will be expected to evaluate information quickly and juggle many moving parts to develop solutions.