Guest Speakers Address Transportation StudentsPosted: Apr 9, 2008 Two speakers hosted by the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute were recently guest lecturers for students in the transportation and logistics Ph.D. program and the Masters of Military Logistics Program. Chris Dager, a national expert on water and barge transportation rate analysis from the Tennessee Valley Authority, was a guest speaker Feb. 11. Dager noted that "Changes in public policy influence transportation energy use and logistical choices." He further stated that "fuel and energy costs have become a driver of logistics decisions and researchers need to be current on the process." Dager has been with TVA since 1976, focusing mainly on economic analysis. He is now working with UGPTI's Denver Tolliver and Doug Benson on the technical transfer of information regarding barge cost modeling. Colonel Kevin Shwedo, Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Training Center, Fort Jackson, SC, was the guest speaker Friday, Feb. 29. He discussed "Customer Service as Logisticians." Shwedo stated that "As logisticians we need to balance effectiveness and efficiency in customer delivery of goods and services." Discussion topics included lean six sigma business improvement methodology, value streamed analysis, and identifying inefficiencies of the supply process. At Fort Jackson, Shwedo is deputy commander for training programs which encompass about 15,000 troops annually. Published in NDSU's staff newsletter |