AI IN DISTRIBUTION CONSORTIUM
“The AI Revolution Meets Industrial Distribution’s Non-Programmers”May – July
Consortium Registration
July – September
Consortium One-on-One Interviews
September – November
Fall Workshop Series (3)
February – April
Spring Workshop Series (3)
The AI for Industrial Distribution Consortium at the Thomas and Joan Read Center equips distributors with the knowledge to navigate the AI landscape—without selling solutions or implementation services.
We bridge the gap between academic research and distribution frontlines, transforming complex AI concepts into practical evaluation tools tailored for wholesale distribution challenges. Led by faculty experts with deep distribution industry connections, our vendor-neutral education helps your team assess technologies on merit and make strategic decisions that align with your unique market position.
VALUE TO INDUSTRY PARTNERS
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STRATEGIC INNOVATION ASSESSMENT
Learn to identify which AI technologies offer genuine ROI for distribution operations—from warehouse automation to inventory optimization—with frameworks designed for non-technical decision-makers.
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VENDOR-INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS
Develop the skills to evaluate AI solution claims objectively and select technologies based on your business priorities rather than vendor marketing narratives
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DATA-DRIVEN DECISION METHODS
Learn techniques for extracting meaningful insights from your customer purchasing patterns and operational data—turning distribution’s historical information into actionable business intelligence.
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PHASED ADOPTION STRATEGIES
Acquire practical, distribution-specific guidance for introducing AI capabilities that align with your organization’s digital maturity and growth objectives.
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MARKET POSITION EVALUATION
Understand methodologies to assess how specific AI applications can enhance your value proposition in relation to both traditional competitors and emerging digital channels.
Lee Allison
Dr. Lee Allison
Dr. Allison is an Associate Professor in the College of Engineering in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution. Her research interests include sales, learning pedagogy, personal branding, ethics and artificial intelligence. With respect to the latter, she is particularly focused at the nexus of these activities and their influence on industrial manufacturers and distributors. This area is of vital concern to The Department of Engineering and Industrial Distribution and our industry partners. Dr. Allison’s interests in these areas emerged from her career working in distribution. That professional experience continues to inform and fuel her passion for teaching and researching in these areas, as well as her weekly podcast AI in Supply.
Dr. Allison earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration – Marketing from The Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University, MBA and BBA degrees in Finance | Economics from the University of Texas at El Paso, and was recognized as the Finance and Economics student of the year upon tandem to receiving her master’s degree.
She has presented and published in the national proceedings of various refereed academic conferences, and her work has been published in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Industrial Marketing Management, the Journal of Business Research and others.
From 2016-2023, Dr. Allison was the endowed Karl D. Bays Professor of Business at Eastern Kentucky University, where she worked to establish the Berman Center for Professional Sales, serving as the center’s first Executive Director. As a tenured Associate Professor of Marketing at EKU, she taught sales management, marketing principles, services marketing, qualitative research, digital marketing, and quantitative marketing research as well as graduate courses in marketing and communications.
In August 2023, she proudly joined Texas A&M University where she teaches manufacturer | distributor relations, and works with industry through her research consortia offerings through the Thomas and Joan Read Center for distribution Research and Education. Her most recent consortium, “The AI Revolution Meets Industrial Distribution’s Non-Programmers” is accepting registrations. If this is a priority topic for your organization, contact her today to learn more!
Lee Allison
Dr. Lee Allison
Dr. Allison is an Associate Professor in the College of Engineering in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution. Her research interests include sales, learning pedagogy, personal branding, ethics and artificial intelligence. With respect to the latter, she is particularly focused at the nexus of these activities and their influence on industrial manufacturers and distributors. This area is of vital concern to The Department of Engineering and Industrial Distribution and our industry partners. Dr. Allison’s interests in these areas emerged from her career working in distribution. That professional experience continues to inform and fuel her passion for teaching and researching in these areas, as well as her weekly podcast AI in Supply.
Dr. Allison earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration – Marketing from The Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University, MBA and BBA degrees in Finance | Economics from the University of Texas at El Paso, and was recognized as the Finance and Economics student of the year upon tandem to receiving her master’s degree.
She has presented and published in the national proceedings of various refereed academic conferences, and her work has been published in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Industrial Marketing Management, the Journal of Business Research and others.
From 2016-2023, Dr. Allison was the endowed Karl D. Bays Professor of Business at Eastern Kentucky University, where she worked to establish the Berman Center for Professional Sales, serving as the center’s first Executive Director. As a tenured Associate Professor of Marketing at EKU, she taught sales management, marketing principles, services marketing, qualitative research, digital marketing, and quantitative marketing research as well as graduate courses in marketing and communications.
In August 2023, she proudly joined Texas A&M University where she teaches manufacturer | distributor relations, and works with industry through her research consortia offerings through the Thomas and Joan Read Center for distribution Research and Education. Her most recent consortium, “The AI Revolution Meets Industrial Distribution’s Non-Programmers” is accepting registrations. If this is a priority topic for your organization, contact her today to learn more!
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Malini Natarajarathinam
Dr. Malini Natarajarathinam
Dr. Malini Natarajarathinam is a Professor of Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University, where she serves in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution. She holds a doctoral degree in operations management and master’s degrees in management science from the University of Alabama and in industrial engineering.
Her teaching focuses on purchasing, distribution networks, and strategic relationships, while her research interests include coordinated decision-making in supply chains, managing supply chains during crises, and optimizing global supply chains. She has been involved in numerous research and consulting engagements with distributors, focusing on inventory management, supplier relationships, and profitability improvement.
In 2016, Dr. Natarajarathinam launched the “Hunger Free Project,” a $300,000 university-funded service-learning initiative aimed at tackling poverty and hunger. She was selected for the American Society for Engineering Education’s “20 under 40” list in recognition of her teaching talent and real-world research addressing poverty issues.
She has advised more than 100 capstone projects and teaches in both the undergraduate Industrial Distribution program and the Master of Industrial Distribution program. She has received research funding from various companies, governmental agencies, and the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Natarajarathinam describes her teaching philosophy with the statement: “Whatever I do, as long as I keep my focus and attention on my students, everyone comes out winning.”
Malini Natarajarathinam
Dr. Malini Natarajarathinam
Dr. Malini Natarajarathinam is a Professor of Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University, where she serves in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution. She holds a doctoral degree in operations management and master’s degrees in management science from the University of Alabama and in industrial engineering.
Her teaching focuses on purchasing, distribution networks, and strategic relationships, while her research interests include coordinated decision-making in supply chains, managing supply chains during crises, and optimizing global supply chains. She has been involved in numerous research and consulting engagements with distributors, focusing on inventory management, supplier relationships, and profitability improvement.
In 2016, Dr. Natarajarathinam launched the “Hunger Free Project,” a $300,000 university-funded service-learning initiative aimed at tackling poverty and hunger. She was selected for the American Society for Engineering Education’s “20 under 40” list in recognition of her teaching talent and real-world research addressing poverty issues.
She has advised more than 100 capstone projects and teaches in both the undergraduate Industrial Distribution program and the Master of Industrial Distribution program. She has received research funding from various companies, governmental agencies, and the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Natarajarathinam describes her teaching philosophy with the statement: “Whatever I do, as long as I keep my focus and attention on my students, everyone comes out winning.”
Click image above to learn more