For the past 30 years, Tauber Institute for Global Operations has succeeded in matching business and engineering students to team projects at top global firms. Their mission is to find optimal solutions for the demanding operations challenges their sponsoring companies pose, and the result can be transformative.

With an average employment rate of 98% for the past nine years and an average savings of $49 million per project over three years for employers, the Tauber Institute has found a way to bridge the talent gap for companies while providing substantial value in operations. 

41 students journeyed to 15 companies this year, with 18 total projects. 

Many Tauber alumni-sponsored projects

Going into its 30th year, the Tauber Institute for Global Operations continues to build brighter futures for students and companies through many alumni-sponsored projects. The student teams work for their sponsoring companies from May through mid-August, then present their results at the annual Spotlight! Team Project Showcase and Scholarship Competition. Some of this year's alumni included: Jason Clark, MBA and MSE IOE '05; vice president BCA Airplane Programs, Fabrication & Supply Chain Engineering; Sarah Klemsz, MSCM '15, director, process engineering at Amazon; Almira Dogruyol, EGL BSE/MSE-IOE '20, senior industrial engineer at Canam Steel Corporation; and Jeff Dillaman, MBA '16, senior manufacturing manager, 777 Interiors.

Putting the spotlight on ConAgra Brands, Inc.

In 2023, the Tauber Institute will recognize five years of team project sponsorships with ConAgra Brands, Inc. 

In this year's project, the Tauber team aimed to optimize the frozen food supply chain by creating synergies across the brands ConAgra already offers. Additionally, by creating these synergies, the Tauber team analyzed if a hub-and-spoke model is the best solution. The student team included Isabel Rolfe, EGL BSE MSE IOE '24, and Rachel Karaban, MBA '24. 

"We are working on network optimization of inbound logistics," said Karaban. 

"Our project is focusing on raw materials," said Rolfe. "Anything that would go into a frozen meal, that's the side we're looking at."

The primary project sponsor is Craig Weiss, the Senior Vice President at ConAgra within the supply chain division and on the Industry Advisory Board at Tauber. The students spoke highly of the personal 1:1 time they received with their sponsor. 

"We got to hear a lot about Craig's experience, what he's interested in, and what types of leadership skills he utilizes to bring people together and solve problems," added Rolfe. "That was an experience I will never get again."

What our students learned

Apart from the technical skills, learnings, and savings surrounding their project, the Tauber students leave with invaluable expertise and capabilities that continue to flourish beyond their time in the institute.

"My project was empowering," said Rolfe. "We have a really supportive group of people we're working with here at ConAgra, and they have pushed me to work hard and have an experience unlike any other that I've had before."

The team project experience also had some surprises for the Tauber students. 

"We've been spoiled," said Karaban. "Everyone is super nice and super helpful. We are treated more like consultants rather than actual interns."

I'm not treated like an intern," said Rolfe. "I'm given a lot more responsibility, and I'm able to apply what I study at school. I enjoy working on real-life problems, and people are seeking out my skills rather than me seeking out a company. Tauber has been able to provide me with a great work experience.

The Tauber experience

The Tauber Institute offers talented students and companies an opportunity like no other. Not only do students uncover significant savings in various means for their companies, but they leave with experiences that go well beyond a standard internship. 

"It's great working with someone from a different program," said Karaban. "You get a different point of view. You realize not everyone knows certain acronyms, and it's just great to get different views from a more analytical, technical side of operations."

I've really enjoyed Tauber because it gave me a robust networking experience," said Rolfe. "I was able to network with many different companies over a couple of weeks, and that's not something you can get anywhere else. I feel like this long internship experience is giving me a taste of what my life could look like after graduating, which is something I've never experienced before.

<Learn more about Tauber Institute of Global Operations team projects>

View our discussion with Isabel Rolfe by clicking on the image below: