Harbert supply chain graduate students Drew Hildebrandt and Brock Herron win top honors at international PhD workshop.

Two Auburn University supply chain management doctoral candidates placed first and second in a research presentation competition at the University of Liverpool’s third-annual Operations and Supply Chain Management PhD Summer School in June.

Drew Hildebrandt and Brock Herron were among the more than 40 PhD students from 26 universities worldwide who participated in the weeklong workshop where they learned about the latest advances in research modeling methods. The workshop ended with the competition, where participants explained one aspect of their dissertation in a three-minute pitch.

“This is a big deal,” said Harbert College of Business Professor Shashank Rao, director of the Auburn’s Supply Chain Management doctoral program. “Having one of your students place is really good, but to have two of your students finish first and second is fantastic.”

Hildebrandt's and Herron's research

Hildebrandt, who placed first, is conducting research on what is driving AI adoption in hospital operations. In his pitch, he described how AI is used in workforce deployment, scheduling and patient-predicted demand and whether AI implementation results in better patient outcomes.

In his experiments, he analyzes American Hospital Association survey data, comparing hospitals that have implemented AI in the last three years versus hospitals that have not.

“We found that AI adoption can lead to shorter patient stays and lower readmissions and mortality,” Hildebrandt said.

Herron, who placed second, is conducting research on social sustainability at what he calls the base of the pyramid—that is, the most economically disadvantaged segments of society. He examines crowdfunded microfinance, where individuals lend money directly to borrowers in need through online platforms like Kiva.com.

In his pitch, Herron explained whether certain causes or borrower characteristics can improve the match between lenders and borrowers on online lending platforms.

“My goal is to better understand which types of messaging resonate most with potential lenders and how that, in turn, influences access to financial resources for those at the base of the pyramid,” Herron said.

The international perspective

Herron appreciated interacting with the workshop’s expert instructors and fellow doctoral students.

“I wanted to challenge myself by stepping outside of my usual environment by meeting scholars from different backgrounds, exchanging ideas and learning how research is approached globally,” Herron said. “Engaging with an international community not only provided fresh perspectives but also gave me constructive feedback that I can apply to strengthen my own research.”

Hildebrandt left the workshop with a better appreciation for the international perspective that Harbert faculty like Rao, Glenn Richey, Tony Roath, Tyler Morgan and others instill in Harbert students.

“We were able to see problems in a different light rather than just [from] a pure U.S.-centric view,” said Hildebrandt, noting that supply chain disruptions like trade negotiations, natural disasters and wars impact companies worldwide.

Inspiring other PhD students

Herron encourages anyone with the opportunity to participate in experiences like this to stay open-minded and embrace every chance to learn.

“Opportunities like these are invaluable for personal and academic growth,” he said. “The more we understand the challenges faced by communities around the world, the better equipped we are to develop meaningful and impactful solutions.”

Both Herron and Hildebrandt will be finishing their doctorates later this year and will be entering the academic job market.

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Learn more about Auburn's Supply Chain Management PhD program