The Now Generation: Teaching Supply Chain with Simulations, Stories, and Systems

Why It Matters

As supply chains face talent shortages and faster hiring expectations, programs that pair industry partnerships, experiential simulations and cross‑discipline recruitment can accelerate workforce readiness and strengthen pipelines for employers. The WISE–Supply Chain Now collaboration and TCU’s applied approach signal a scalable model for producing industry‑ready graduates who can be deployed quickly into critical roles.

Summary

Supply Chain Now’s ‘Now Generation’ episode spotlights Texas Christian University’s approach to preparing students for rapid entry into supply‑chain roles, featuring TCU adjunct Ryan Goodwin—senior director of supply chain technology at Trinity Industries and co‑founder of the Texas Tabletop Society—and student Titus Fagan. The segment highlights TCU’s strong rankings in supply‑chain education, the newly announced 2026 partnership with the University of Arkansas WISE program to expand student‑industry connections, and classroom techniques that emphasize simulations, storytelling and systems thinking. Guests discuss experiential learning, cross‑discipline talent (an accounting student engaged in supply chain), and community programs that build practical skills and confidence. The conversation underscores the urgency for hands‑on training to accelerate graduates into meaningful supply‑chain roles.

Original Description

As supply chain technology accelerates, the ability to translate operational knowledge into scalable systems is becoming a defining advantage for both companies and early-career talent. In this episode of Supply Chain Now’s Now Generation series, Scott W. Luton sits down with Ryan Goodwin, Sr. Director of Supply Chain Technology & Innovation at Trinity Industries and an adjunct professor at Texas Christian University, alongside Titus Fagan, TCU Student Body Vice President and a third-year accounting major with a minor in energy business.

Ryan shares how his team is integrating planning, MRP, and financial data into platforms that enable faster automation and application-building, often with the help of AI and “vibe coding,” where non-traditional builders can create real tools without a formal software background. Titus brings the student lens, explaining why practitioner-led teaching changes the classroom experience, how simulation-based learning builds cross-functional thinking, and why early responsibility and collaboration are top priorities when evaluating future employers.

Together, they explore how AI can lower barriers to entry, accelerate skill development, and reduce manual work while also raising bigger questions about infrastructure, power demand, and the bottlenecks that can slow even the most innovative systems. From freight reporting automation to energy transmission constraints, this conversation connects the dots between learning, leadership, and the fast-evolving reality of global supply chains.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(00:37) The Now Generation and why TCU stands out

(02:23) Introducing Ryan and Titus

(04:20) Titus’ weather forecasting hobby

(06:28) Ryan’s board game community

(09:13) Ryan’s work at Trinity Industries

(11:32) AI, platforms, and “vibe coding”

(20:00) Bottlenecks and infrastructure strain

(27:34) A discussion on nuclear power

(28:21) Modernizing the accounting path

(30:25) Cross-functional collaboration matters

(33:30) What Titus wants from employers

(38:14) Learning through simulation games

(40:37) Why professors keep evolving

(42:49) TCU’s teacher-scholar approach

(46:53) Trade shows and career exposure

Additional Links & Resources:

Connect with Ryan Goodwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancgoodwin/

Connect with Titus Fagan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/titus-fagan-77b547291

Learn more about Trinity Industries: https://www.trin.net/

Learn more about TCU’s Neeley School of Business: https://www.neeley.tcu.edu/

Learn more about WISE by The University of Arkansas: https://walton.uark.edu/departments/supplychain/wise.php

Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join

Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk

WEBINAR- Supply Chain Planning Reimagined: Embedded AI that senses, explains, and optimizes: https://bit.ly/4pOGgyo

WEBINAR- ChatGPT Is Just the Beginning for Shipping: https://bit.ly/3YLFGq7

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/now-generation-teaching-supply-chain-simulations-stories-systems-1549

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