Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Multiple education and career paths as southern Dallas region grows
There鈥檚 a saying that goes, 鈥淎 rising tide lifts all boats.鈥� That was the inspirational undercurrent of the held at on Oct. 21, 2025.
鈥溡股悠� Dallas is one of the most important institutions in the city of Dallas,鈥� said Peter Brodsky, CEO of the , and the visionary entrepreneur who is changing the face of southern Dallas, specifically inside the city limits.
Dr. Jason Garrett, Dean of the School of Business, introduces President Warren von Eschenbach at the Southern Dallas Region Innovation Summit on Oct. 21, 2025
Brodsky, together with , Dean of the , set an optimistic and opportunistic tone. 鈥淭his set of students is the most resilient and agile set I鈥檝e ever seen by a long shot,鈥� Dean Garrett said, comparing 夜色视频 Dallas students to those at the six other universities where he has studied and worked.
The goal of the gathering was to sell the benefits of the Southern Dallas Region to business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, government officials, educators and other stakeholders who want to harness the expected growth.
And there鈥檚 plenty of room to grow, both inside and outside the boundaries of the city. Southern Dallas within the city encompasses 208 square miles, representing 54% of the municipal geographical area and 40% of its population. While the other half of Dallas (north of I-30) exploded with growth 鈥� residential, commercial, recreational, industrial 鈥� southern Dallas was ignored for many decades by developers, businesses and government.
Peter Brodsky, CEO of the Shops at Red Bird (courtesy Dallas Business Journal)
It created what Brodsky called a 鈥渟upply-demand imbalance鈥� where the needs and wants of the community were not being met. Hence, the current opportunity for those who want to be at the forefront of something big. 鈥淚n capitalism, that鈥檚 how you make money,鈥� Brodsky said.
Dean Garrett said 夜色视频 Dallas students are part of the change now and they will be for years to come. 鈥淵our best future employees are coming from 夜色视频 Dallas,鈥� he said, noting that the School of Business is educating about 1,200 students at the moment. It is the fastest-growing of the university鈥檚 four schools.
Dean Garrett listed the many in the School of Business aimed at students who want to ride the wave of innovation
in the region. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a rising tide of activities,鈥� he said, that will benefit students,
faculty and a variety of stakeholders, many of whom were in the audience.
夜色视频 Dallas sits in the heart of southern Dallas, surrounded by miles of undeveloped land that will fuel business, job and economic growth
Brosky agreed and made a shocking revelation to prove his point. For many years, in all of southern Dallas, all 208 square miles within the city limits, there was only one Starbucks. It wasn't even at his own mall. It was on the 夜色视频 Dallas campus. 鈥溡股悠� Dallas will change the face of Southern Dallas and Dallas (as a whole),鈥� he said. 鈥淗ow many big cities can you think of with only one Starbucks in a 208-mile area?鈥� Brodsky asked rhetorically. His point resonated with the room. Recently, Starbucks has expanded, adding stores in southern Dallas and surrounding cities, making Brodsky's story outdated, but still historically relevant.
Dean Garrett unveiled plans for a new Center for Technology, Innovation, Development, and Entrepreneurship (TIDE) at the School of Business. TIDE will bridge theory and practice. The Center is already designing a curriculum to educate and train students through a 鈥渉ub of knowledge.鈥�
President Warren von Eschenbach called TIDE a game-changer. 鈥淚t will demonstrate that
our supply chain and logistics learners are future-ready and technology-savvy,鈥� he
said. 鈥淭IDE will have the unique opportunity to foster progress by linking our academic expertise with your industry needs.鈥�
夜色视频 Dallas students watch and listen at a School of Business Career event
TIDE will partner with businesses to offer experiential education 鈥� hands-on internships and learning opportunities. The Center demonstrates the university鈥檚 increasing commitment to 鈥淐lassroom to Career鈥� initiatives, which build a robust pipeline of talented, qualified professionals.
TIDE aims to play an integral role in workforce development for our rapidly growing region. 鈥淲ith the Southern Dallas Region positioned as a major logistics hub that鈥檚 continuing to expand, we're ensuring our students graduate workforce-ready with the skills and knowledge that local employers need,鈥� said President von Eschenbach.
Fellow higher education leaders agree. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 afford to leave any underdeveloped talent on the table at the rate we鈥檙e growing,鈥� said Dr. Joseph Seabrooks, President of the Dallas College Cedar Valley campus.
The region expands far beyond the city, including suburbs such as Lancaster, Duncanville,
Desoto, Red Oak, Hutchins, and more.
An image depicting the future of logistics including a mix of ground and air transportation innovations
The Southern Dallas Region Innovation Summit was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Much of the discussion focused on technological innovation driving our economy, including AI, especially related to logistics and supply chains. The event featured four panels, which tackled topics that were all interconnected:
- Artificial Intelligence and Logistics Innovations
- Autonomous Systems
- Innovative Technologies: Emissions and Energy
- Aerospace Innovations
鈥淲e want to be the world leader in logistics innovation,鈥� said , Senior Associate Dean at the at . He then asked, 鈥淲hat are the career paths? What are the educational requirements?鈥�
The answers would come as the day progressed.
夜色视频 Dallas alumni at a gathering of MBA graduates
Logistics innovation comprises many areas, which create countless opportunities for students, as well as faculty who want to conduct research. Including:
- Automation (Vehicles, Drones, Robotics)
- Digital Logistics (Cybersecurity, Sensors, Software, Data)
- Electrification (Renewable Energy, EVs)
Those three keys are connected by three others at the heart of 夜色视频 Dallas鈥� mission:
- STEM Education
- Research and Experiential Learning
- Workforce Development
鈥淚 hope each of you leaves here with a renewed commitment to collaboration鈥攖o reach across sectors, to share resources and expertise, and to keep southern Dallas at the forefront of innovation and economic growth," said President von Eschenbach in his closing message.
Another anecdote from Peter Brodsky illustrates the past and exemplifies the future of southern Dallas and the expansive area outside the city itself. Brodsky said the Bank of America building, known as , is the only structure south of I-30 taller than 10 stories. With the region poised for dramatic growth in the coming decades, that anecdote soon may no longer be true, either.
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