Austin is an amateur gear-head and has a passion for cars and car shows. Going with his friends on the weekends to Super Car Saturdays is a social staple. His favorite car is a GT 350R. He credits car movies and tinkering with his own vehicle as driving forces behind his passion. Currently he’s watching Formula 1 racing. When asked what feature of the sport attracted him the most, Austin answers with a surprising statement.
“It’s the logistics aspect of it, how they have to be in so many spots for races. If you actually watch how their operations work, it’s crazy getting from point A to point B efficiently.”
As a junior who will be graduating in May 2024, logistics and supply chain is exactly what Austin Ward is currently studying at UNO.
Born and raised in Omaha, Austin finished his primary education at Millard North High School where he participated in the Business and Logistics Academy and the subject of supply chain was broached. The program touched on basic business practices, a bit of supply chain, and some deeper understanding of transportation. It cemented the interest of supply chain within Austin as it touches everything of everyday life. He started searching for programs that aligned with this focus.
UNO and the College of Business Administration offered the most attractive deal as it had everything necessary for study in the concentration and was local. Being able to stay in his hometown was key to Austin’s decision. After touring the campus, Austin locked in and enrolled. He’s a second-generation student as his mother went to UNO, majoring in Human Resources and Family Planning.
Austin works and attends school full time. He is a full-time employee at Loup Logistics, the intermodal subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad, where he began as an intern. He learned of this internship through the CBA Career Fair where he was able to talk to a company representative. The career fair sees 50+ companies participate in educating and offering recruiting opportunities to CBA students. After utilizing Handshake, a college job opportunity resource, he landed the job and has been working ever since.
His current role is as a Senior Specialist of Logistics working with the Carrier Service’s team of twelve members. The team manages the intermodal drayage needs of UPRR. Basically, Austin finds and dispatches carriers across UPRR’s network to transport goods from intermodal ramp to intermodal ramp or to the customer’s final destination. He enjoys his job and his team. “We are able to have fun while we work, but we get a lot of work done. It’s being able to connect with your teammates. It helps a lot when working and keeps stress levels low.”
Balancing the time commitments of work and school is always a challenge for college students. Austin actively manages these priorities along with maintaining a social life still connecting with friends and family. He enjoys interacting with his peers, making connections, and getting to know them personally. This level of networking offers opportunities to interact within the business world of Omaha. It’s an attractive trait the CBA offers to students and one that Austin recognizes.
The CBA is always aware of any support the students may need. Austin notes this specifically for accounting classes. The availability of tutoring can be just what a struggling student needs to understand a difficult topic. The professors are always available and there to help.
A particular professor that Austin enjoyed interacting with and he wishes could have taken more classes with was Prof. Xiao Song of the School of Accounting. “He really does care about his students and is a teacher.” Prof. Song teaches Principles of Accounting for Finance and takes time with the students to make sure they understand the subject as it can be difficult.
Austin plans on staying with Loup/UPRR after graduating, hoping to either continue in the intermodal area or switch to more rail-oriented logistics if there is an opening. Additionally, Austin is proud of his membership in Beta Gamma Sigma international honors society. Inauguration took place April 20th, 2023. It was recognition for being in the top 10% of CBA students for GPA.
He has this to say to students who are just starting their college career. “Get to know the people around you. Make the connections, networking and building those relationships is extremely valuable.”