Supply chain management juniors Liam West, Rebekka Stottman, Katie Bohm, and Thomas Tonsmeire attended the 20th Annual Reverse Logistics Association (RLA) Conference & Expo in Las Vegas in early February, where they learned firsthand about the latest trends, challenges, solutions and jobs in reverse logistics and supply chain sustainability.

RLA, which focuses on the management of products and materials after they have been returned by consumers or reached the end of their lifecycle, aims to improve sustainability and reduce waste across supply chains.

By working as interns at the conference, the students helped with setup, running registration, and event operations; they also attended keynote talks and panel discussions presented by leaders in the reverse logistics industry.   

The students also met with RecirQ CEO Rich Bulger, the author of Going Circular - a transformative exploration of reverse logistics, sustainable growth, profitability, and enhancement of the circular economy. The Auburn Center for Supply Chain Innovation is a proud supporter of Bulger’s book and help with his research.

Just another example of the experiential learning that takes place in the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University.

Left to right: Auburn University supply chain management juniors Liam West, Rebekka Stottman, Katie Bohm, and Thomas Tonsmeire attended the Reverse Logistics Association conference in early February, where they met (center) entrepreneur and self-made billionaire John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of Paul Mitchell and Patrón Spirits, and founding partner of Renew Logic.