McNatt

Improving complex logistics systems to best impact regional economies in a global network

Building on the success of the UNT Logistics Program, and the rapidly expanding logistics and supply chain industrial base of the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Area, in 2013 UNT established the Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research (McNatt Institute). The McNatt Institute seeks to advance our understanding of how business, government, technology, the environment and the human element interact within complex logistics systems and enterprises to support sustainable and resilient economic growth. The establishment of the McNatt Institute fosters synergy across UNT in strengths such as emergency management, economics, geography, engineering, transportation and planning, digital commerce, arts, and logistics. This intellectual convergence stimulates collaboration between government agencies, businesses, non-profits, and service providers to examine the integration of people, goods, and related information across the entire supply chain.

Mission

To engage in a collaborative convergence of science, technology, engineering, math, arts, and design in logistics systems and enterprises through preeminent research.

Vision

To become an intellectual hub for logistics systems and enterprises.

Goals

  1. Target strategic interdisciplinary initiatives that result in regionally and nationally recognized and innovative sponsored research programs (Research Funding and Productivity).
  2. Create a culture of research that provides a supportive context in which research is uniformly expected, discussed, produced, and valued (Scholar Development).
  3. Nurture a cohort of interdisciplinary doctoral students in McNatt Institute research while creating a research culture that attracts intellectually leading candidates (Doctoral Programs).
  4. Engage undergraduates in active McNatt Institute research while creating a research learning environment (Undergraduate Research).
  5. Expand regional and national partnerships with industry, government, and academia for promoting opportunities for strategic growth (Resource and Infrastructure Growth).
  6. Increase research visibility to create an increasingly notable national reputation (Institute Visibility).