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An accomplished researcher who explores how institutions influence supply chain operations in agriculture, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare, Jessica Darby has won the 2024 Auburn Emerging Faculty Creative Research and Scholarship award.

This recognizes two early-career faculty members among Auburn鈥檚 nearly 400 assistant professors who have demonstrated excellence in research, scholarly work, and creative contributions.

鈥淎uburn University has many high achievers among its junior faculty, so I鈥檓 delighted to win this award,鈥� said Darby, an assistant professor of supply chain management in the 91看片. 鈥淪upply chains are front and center among the pressing challenges facing the world today, and I am fortunate that I have the opportunity to help companies and society through my research.鈥�

Impactful research

In a published in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Darby examined the role that CEO stock ownership had in recalls of faulty medical devices. She and 91看片 faculty colleague Dave Ketchen, along with Indiana University Professor George Ball and University of Illinois Professor Ujjal Mukherjee, analyzed data on more than 2,000 medical device recalls and found that a CEO's stock ownership stake in the company may contribute to recall delays.

鈥淛ust a two percent increase in stock ownership is associated with a 26-day delay in recall initiation,鈥� said Darby about the study鈥檚 main finding. 鈥淭his recall-slowing effect was strongest for medical devices with severe defects that can cause temporary illness, serious injury, or even death.鈥�

鈥淲e can鈥檛 know for sure, but it may be that CEOs are buying time to further analyze the problem or to protect the stock price,鈥� she said. She added that recalls put CEOs in a very precarious position, as they try to balance the firm鈥檚 interests, consumer interests, and their own interests.

Darby and colleagues also found that the longer a company delayed initiating a recall, the more its stock price dipped.

鈥淔or medical devices with severe defects, waiting an extra three weeks nearly doubles the stock market penalty on average,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, ironically, recall delays lead to consequences that are detrimental to the CEO鈥檚 own interests鈥攁nd, of course, consumer health and safety. Or, as we like to say, bad things come to those who wait.鈥�

Their findings were featured in the , and according to Darby, high-ranking officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) contacted the author team to discuss the implications of the findings for the agency鈥檚 work. 

In a , Darby explored how companies use inventory to buffer against uncertainty surrounding government policy. She conducted this work with Ketchen and Professors Brent Williams from the University of Arkansas and Travis Tokar from TCU.

鈥淭he paper was seemingly published at exactly the right time in light of the policy uncertainty that has ensued over the last four years, such as the ongoing trade war, a global pandemic, and record inflation,鈥� Darby said.

Early career

Darby discovered her passion for research while working on an undergraduate honors thesis in the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, where she earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in business economics in 2015. Her , advised by Professor Andrew McKenzie, examined the role of government information in rice markets鈥攁n important topic in the largest rice-producing state in the country.

She also worked at an Arkansas-based trading and sourcing company, as well as a global grain shipping firm. In both roles, she analyzed data to adapt purchasing and logistics strategies to changing market conditions and political environments.

鈥淎s a commodity analyst, I witnessed firsthand the often-overlooked influence of economic and political institutions 鈥� including governments, regulatory agencies, and financial markets 鈥� on supply chain management,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his experience, as well as my continued interactions with industry, provided the foundations for my career as an academic.鈥�

She went on to earn an MBA and a PhD at the University of Arkansas, where she was named a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow.

鈥淭hat passion [for research] has persisted鈥擨 just can鈥檛 stand not knowing or understanding things,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is not enough to know that X leads to Y; I need to know how, why, and under what conditions.鈥�

In the classroom

Darby is as dedicated to preparing students for their careers as she is to research. She currently teaches Supply Chain Strategy: A Global Perspective, which is the capstone course for seniors majoring in supply chain management.

鈥淚 leverage my research and my experiences in the commodities industry to broaden students鈥� understanding and adaptability by exposing them to different companies and approaches to supply chain activities, such as forecasting, risk management, and transportation,鈥� she said.

Recognition

At this early stage in her career, Darby has published 10 research articles in top journals in the supply chain management field.

鈥淛essica is a rising star in the supply chain management discipline,鈥� said Beth Davis-Sramek, Gayle Parks Forehand professor and chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management. 鈥淗er research offers important insights for both companies and policy makers. I appreciate both 91看片 College and the university鈥檚 efforts in recognizing young scholars who are making significant contributions to their disciplines.鈥�

Darby鈥檚 research has also been recognized within the 91看片. In May, she earned the 2024 91看片 College Outstanding Rising Scholar Research award and the Department of Supply Chain Management Outstanding Research award.

鈥淚 am lucky to work alongside renowned scholars like Beth Davis-Sramek, Dave Ketchen, and Brian Connelly in 91看片 College,鈥� she said, while also acknowledging numerous scholars from other universities who have positively impacted her career. 鈥淚 am even luckier that they are mentors and friends.鈥�

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