Tao Lu


Supply Chain Disruptions Create Shortages of Goods Just in Time for the Holidays

UConn Today – For weeks, the media has been warning us to shop for the holiday season now or risk being shut out of the hot-gift market. Equally troublesome is finding a new car to buy, as many dealerships have limited inventory. Even that American staple, our beloved chicken wings, have been in short supply recently.

To make sense of all this, UConn Today spoke with School of Business assistant professor Tao Lu, of the Operations and Information Management Department. Lu researches supply-chain management, transport logistics, sharing economy and socially responsible operations. We asked him about the backorders, delays and consumer-goods shortages.


Vaccine logistics: The ‘challenging task’ of delivering billions of doses

CTPost – Getting a COVID vaccine to the entire country — and perhaps the entire world — will present a unique challenge, according to Tao Lu.

“It’s the first time you are trying to do such a huge job in such a short time frame,” he said.

Lu is an assistant professor at UConn’s School of Business, specializing in supply chain management and logistics.

He said development of a vaccine — there are currently two coronavirus vaccine candidates on the fast track for worldwide distribution — is just the first problem.

“The next challenging task is how to deliver the vaccine to every single person in the nation, or in the world,” he said.Continue Reading


15 New Faculty Join Business School

COmposite Image of new faculty members, with a welcome message in the middle
The School of Business welcomes new faculty this fall. Top from left, Meng Gao, Garth Monroe, Tao Lu. Bottom from left, Zachary Suetta, Ryan Coles, Christina Kan.

Fifteen new, accomplished, and enthusiastic faculty have joined the School of Business this fall.Continue Reading