Student Onboarding Program

Welcome to the UNT Logistics Student Onboarding Program! This program began in Fall 2013, and is the brainchild of the Logistics Center Board of Directors members. Board members expressed the need for students to gain additional soft skills that will help them “hit the ground running” and be able to contribute to an organization more quickly, be it during an internship or a regular full-time job placement. These skills help set UNT Logistics students apart from their competition in the marketplace for jobs and promotions.

The program takes place on select Fridays, from 12:00-1:00pm, with corporate representatives facilitating lectures and workshops on topics such as:

  • Make the impression – Effective interpretation and presentation of analyses
  • Networking and relationships – Cultivating, building, and sustaining
  • Dress for Success
  • Communication – Verbal and written, effective presentations
  • Social media – How to use effectively
  • Where do I fit in at my new company? Dealing with generation gaps
  • Interviewing from an employer’s standpoint/How to prepare for a behavioral interview
  • Advanced Excel
  • Mentoring – Formal and informal/Career paths

Students must RSVP to attend these sessions. After completing four program sessions students will receive their Logistics Onboarding certificate through the Center for Logistics Education & Research which is a great addition to a resume!

Important information for all events

For all events, registration is required. Registration closes at 12:00 noon on the day before the event. Post-event attendance reports will be sent to the professors. Reports include a list of registered participants, and the arrival and departure times of each attendee.

The deadline to register for any event is 12:00 noon on the day before the event. Immediately after registering, students will receive a registration confirmation at the email address provided on the registration form. Students will choose which class to receive Professional Development attendance credit for by selecting the course number on the registration form. Students have the ability to change the course number for a registered event by logging in and clicking ‘edit’ in the event they have registered for. Students also have the ability to cancel registration by logging in and clicking ‘cancel’ in the event they have registered for. If a student has registered for an event and is not able to attend, they should cancel their registration no later than 24 hours before the start time of the event. The registration system will allow students to register for an event until capacity restrictions have been met. Students should register early in the semester as events fill up very quickly!

For all speaker events hosted by the Center for Logistics & Supply Chain Management, an event reminder email with the specific location of the in-person presentation will be sent to the same email address provided on the registration form one day before the event.

If you would like to request accommodations for any speaker event, please email Chris Peavy at the email address provided below.

For all questions regarding Logistics Executive Lecture Series, Student Onboarding Program, The Business of Intermodal Continues Program, and Group Tours not answered by content found in the class syllabus or on the Center for Logistics & Supply Chain Management website please send an email to:

Chris Peavy chris.peavy@unt.edu
(she-her-hers)
Director, College of Business Programs
Center for Logistics & Supply Chain Management

Upcoming Events

  • Lessons learned during COVID and the supply chain crisis. In this presentation we’ll discuss the real-time billion-dollar decisions being made at a Top 10 automotive manufacturer during COVID and the supply chain crisis. How we navigated through everything with no previous blueprint and came out stronger.

    Date: Friday, March 29th - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
    Location: Location will be shared via email one day before the event.
    Speaker(s)
    Matt Ritter
    Vice President, Eastern Region, Subaru

    Matt Ritter is the Vice President, Eastern Region for Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA).  In his role, Ritter is responsible for all operations affecting over 190 retailers along the east coast.  These operations include vehicle allocation and sales operations, marketing, sales training, market development, and fixed operations performance.  He leads the management of four zone offices and staff and is responsible for setting the strategy for his region.

    Prior to being promoted to this role in 2023, Ritter was the Vice President, Vehicle Planning and Logistics, a position he held since 2021.  He was also previously the Vice President, Field Operations, the Zone Director for the Philadelphia Zone and a Regional Sales Manager at SOA. Prior to joining Subaru in 2008, Ritter was the Director, Mergers and Acquisitions for AutoNation and held numerous roles at Porsche Cars North America and Toyota Financial Services.  

    Ritter holds a bachelor’s from Colorado State University. While attending CSU, he was a Senator for the College of Business for ASCSU, served as Chairman of the Lory Student Center Governing Board, and Vice President of the Business College Council. Currently he serves on the board of directors for the Haddonfield Educational Trust and resides in New Jersey with his wife and daughter. 

  • In this presentation, Jessica Atkinson will cover the following:

    • Beyond Empathy
    • Leadership Styles Misconceptions
    • Why do Leaders bury their Heads?
    • Impact of Excessive Focus on Delivery
    • Leading without a title
    • Misconceptions of Leading
    • Leaders of Positive Mental Healthy Teams

    Date: Friday, April 5th - 12:00pm
    Location: Location will be shared via email one day before the event.
    Speaker(s)
    Jessica Atkinson
    PMP, CMP, CSM, Chief Transformation Officer, WILB Effect

    A triple-certified Transformation Expert, Jessica Atkinson has spent the last 20 years leading Business and Technology changes for Corporate America. She has received many awards including Titan in Business, Marquis Who’s Who in America, and Women in Consumer Finance. As a people leader in corporations and universities she has mentored hundreds of young professionals. Jessica has versatility in managing complex projects including international corporate build-outs, technology platform changes, documentaries with the UN and HRW, and much more. As the CEO of The WILB Effect, she's leading a movement that advocates for authenticity in decision-making across all industries. From growing up in a foster home in an emerging country to advocating for Human Rights in the Supreme Court, she has witnessed the power of fear and the triumph of authenticity. Jessica Atkinson is igniting the "I WILB Me" and “Embrace Authenticity Awaken Greatness” attitude as the critical path for transforming leadership for the future.

Previous Events

  • This presentation will show the elements of LinkedIn and Twitter and how to utilize them to grow your business connections network while at the same time demonstrating your supply chain expertise. We will cover many dos and don'ts as well as some best practices. Come prepared having signed up for both services and starting your LinkedIn profile. Research profiles of people you might know and include Tim Feemster’s prior to the event.

    Date: Friday, February 23rd - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
    Location: Location will be shared via email one day before the event.
    Speaker(s)
    Tim Feemster
    CEO & Managing Principal, Foremost Quality Logistics

    Download presentation slides

    Watch It Again

    Tim Feemster, CEO & Managing Principal of Foremost Quality Logistics, has over 40 years of experience in supply chain operations, site selection, economic development target industry/SWOT consulting, DC network optimization. His supply chain career has included being a manager in three manufacturing companies, a consultant, an executive in two 3PLs, & a Practice Group Leader for two Real Estate firms. He is a frequent presenter, is quoted regularly in both the supply chain/real estate press, recognized by D CEO magazine as one of the top 500 CEOs in DFW in 2019 & 2020 & Marquis Who’s Who Top Professional 2021.

  • Do you know the advantages of completing an internship? Let’s list a few. Employers prefer to hire graduates who’ve gained hands-on experience related to their major. Internships extend your classroom learning into a real-world setting. Internships provide you with an opportunity to reinforce your choice of major and career path. Internships allow you to gain practical experience and transferable skills by working in a professional environment. Internships give you a competitive advantage in the job market because of the knowledge and skills you develop in the position. Internships help you develop a network of professional contacts in your career field. Internships provide insight into your future career.

    In this presentation Brian Hirsch and Beth Kent from RCOB Career Center will be providing an overview of the internship searching process including: Qualifications to intern, Process for applying for internships for credit, Where the opportunities are, and How to use Handshake and LinkedIn to navigate job openings.

    Date: Friday, January 26th - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
    Location: Location will be shared via email one day before the event.
    Speaker(s)
    Brian Hirsch, Ed.D.
    Senior Associate Director, Wilson Jones Career Center at G. Brint Ryan College of Business

    Download presentation slides

    Dr. Brian Hirsch is the Senior Associate Director for the UNT Career Center in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. Dr. Hirsch is a proven leader in career services and higher education with over twenty years of experience in diverse roles. His responsibilities have included expanding recruiter bases, creating increased opportunities for placement, career advisement, oversight and coordination of on-campus recruitment, employer relations, job and program development, student retention, teaching, leadership development, outcomes assessment, producing publications, marketing, supervision and budget management. Dr. Hirsch has extensive involvement with student affairs including leadership development, Greek Life, Student Activities, Student Retention, and Drug Education and Prevention.