For the February 2025 episode, host Ted Stank and guest host Josh King speak with Barbara Melvin, CEO and president of the South Carolina Ports about everything from U.S. trade and tariffs to the impact of labor and economic development on port operations.

A member of the GSCI Advisory Board Melvin runs one of the fastest-growing ports in the country, and the fourth-busiest gateway on the East Coast in Charleston, South Carolina. Previously serving as the organization’s COO, she was named to her position in July 2022, becoming the first woman to lead a top 10 U.S. operating container port. In 2023, she was recognized as an Outstanding Woman in Supply Chain by student leaders at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Listen in as our hosts also delve into the state of the U.S. economy, talent development in the industry, applied research opportunities with UT, and the challenges leaders like Melvin are tasked with overcoming to benefit American businesses and consumers.

The interview with Barbara Melvin starts at 8:23.

The episode was recorded on February 13, 2025, during the Winter GSCI Advisory Board meeting at the Haslam College of Business.

Related links:

• Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs shake up supply chains
• U.S. consumer inflation increases at fastest pace in nearly 1.5 years.
• Register for SCM Academies in Finance, and Planning
• Register for the Supply Chain Forum, April 8–10 in Knoxville
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top experts in the discipline.
• Read our latest white paper, “Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force”
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

For the first episode of 2025, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with UT Knoxville experts Huseyn Abdulla and Seongkyoon Jeong about their research in the areas of returns management and supply chain cybersecurity.

Assistant professors and esteemed scholars in their disciplines, Abdulla and Jeong’s insights are a deep dive into the challenges and innovations shaping supply chain management. Among other points, Abdulla explains how retailers balance the growing demand for customer-friendly return policies with environmental and financial sustainability, while Jeong discusses the rising risk of cyberattacks in an increasingly data-driven world.

Listen in as our hosts also delve into consumer sentiment, holiday spending, the trade implications of the new Trump administration, collaborations between Hyundai and Amazon, and much more.

The episode was recorded virtually on January 17, 2025.

Related links:

• U.S. shoppers set record for holiday spending in 2024
• Logistics industry growth slowed in December, per Logistics Managers Index report
• Trump orders trade review ahead of potential tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
• Hyundai begins selling vehicles on Amazon Autos
• U.S. consumers ‘resilient and strong’ in face of high prices and interest rates
• Read Huseyn Abdulla’s article in The Conversation about consumer backlash when retailers change their return policies, and his study published in the Journal of Operations Management
• Read Seongkyoon Jeong’s blogs on cybersecurity risks and three types of cyberattacks affecting supply chains
• Register for SCM Academies in Leadership, Finance, and Planning
• Read our latest white paper, “Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force”
• Register for the Supply Chain Forum, April 8–10 in Knoxville
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

For our December episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with Marianne Wanamaker, dean of UT's Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs and a professor of economics and public policy.

Wanamaker, who served as the chief domestic economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisors during the first Trump administration, is a recurring guest on the podcast and at meetings of the GSCI Advisory Board, where executives look to her for insights into the U.S. labor market.

In our final recording of 2024, she addressed the U.S. presidential election, the threat of tariffs and inflation, the negotiating tactics of president-elect Donald Trump, business relationships with Mexico and China, immigration, and much more.

The episode was recorded virtually on December 3, 2024.

Related links:

• November Logistics Manager’s Index shows continued growth
• Discounts and deals led to a Black Friday and Cyber Monday that exceeded expectations
• Farm industry warns Trump’s deportation plans could upend food supply
• What the last Trump tariffs did per experts
• Is the U.S. national debt of $35 trillion putting global economy at risk?
• Read our latest white paper, "Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force," released at the forum.
• Listen to previous episodes featuring Wanamaker in December 2021, March 2022, and July 2022.
• Wanamaker on the future of the supply chain workforce for Zero100 podcast
• Save the Date for the April 2025 Supply Chain Forum, April 8–10 in Knoxville
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!