The 2025 RFID Conference and Source Tagging Workshop hosted by the Auburn RFID Lab is quickly approaching. This year’s conference will take place April 8th through the 10th and is open to end users and tag suppliers alike. Industry leaders and guest speakers will lead sessions covering the growth of RFID and new exciting developments within the field. Representatives from companies such as Carters, NASA, and FedEx will be hosting mini-tracks and participating in panels to answer any questions guests may have about their experience with RFID and how their companies have benefitted from the technology.
Whether you are new to the RFID industry, or have been a proud member for decades, there will be plenty of opportunities to learn and connect within the RFID Industry. There will be chances for anyone interested to tour the Auburn RFID Lab and get a closer look at the groundbreaking work of our staff and students. The Auburn RFID Lab is very excited to host all our guests, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone in April!
The Auburn RFID Lab is excited to announce the 2025 Source Tagging Workshop! The workshop will be held in Auburn, AL from April 8th through 10th, 2025. We are thrilled to announce that John Furner, President and CEO of Walmart U.S., will be delivering the keynote address at the conference! The conference features sessions from companies HanesBrands, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Carter’s, and more, and will focus on alignment across industries for the future of RFID and other sensor solutions.Auburn RFID Lab Industry Conference topics will include: Retail, Aerospace, Logistics, and Data
Source Tagging Workshop Sessions will focus on Supplier source tagging and Label and packaging provider resources. Please visit the link below to register
Our next senior spotlight features Gavin Hardgrave, an upcoming December graduate who has been with the lab for over four years. Gavin is currently the team lead of the Lab’s A-Team and has had many different responsibilities over his time at the lab; some of which include leading lab tours, in-lab testing, and out of lab testing. Gavin’s contribution to A-Team is invaluable and his teammates are the first people to agree. Brandon Huff, an additional A-Team member, looks to Gavin as a mentor, saying “He’s a great leader who, over the course of my time at the lab, has become a close friend.”
Over the summer Gavin spent 12 weeks as an inventory analyst for Target, in his time as an intern he gained many useful skills that have helped with his position at the lab as well as future job opportunities. Gavin is currently studying information systems management and plans to enter the workforce upon graduating in December. When asked what he will miss most about the lab, Gavin said the people and all around culture that comes with working for the lab.
Our first student spotlight features Camden Davis, who has worked for the lab for over two years and Graduated from Auburn University in May of 2024. During Camden’s time at the lab, he has been part of the Data Team, specifically focusing on the front and back-end development for the lab’s supply chain management web application. Specific tasks Camden completes include designing and building clean and functional UI as well as creating algorithms to sort and organize data while managing said data in a database.
Camden graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and is currently looking for job opportunities in the data and networks field. When asked what he will miss most about working at the Auburn University RFID Lab, Camden said, “I will miss working with fellow students. It was nice knowing that most of the people I work with are all taking similar classes at the same college alongside me.” Camden has been an irreplaceable asset during his time at the lab and his coworkers and peers are very proud of his many accomplishments.
As the Auburn football team prepares to play against the University of Arkansas, there is no better time to look back at the lab’s history and growth over the past two decades. While the lab has been connected to Auburn University since 2010, it was originally founded by Bill Hardgrave at the University of Arkansas in 2005. During his time as a professor at Arkansas, Hardgrave, along with his then graduate student Justin Patton and Senthil CP, created the RFID Research Institute. When Patton and Senthil graduated, they continued with the lab and followed along as Hardgrave became Dean of the Harbert College of Business in Auburn. In a span of five years, the lab transitioned fully to Auburn, and as Hardgrave worked on growing the business school, Patton served as the Lab Director and Senthil as Technical Director. Since 2014, when the lab was completely transitioned to Auburn, the amount of growth in the RFID field has been immeasurable, but Hardgrave, Patton, and Senthil credit the University of Arkansas not only for their education, but also for the support needed to create the RFID Lab in the first place.
While the Lab is located in Auburn, there is a team from the lab based in Bentonville, Arkansas that works with industry partner Walmart. These hands-on developments happening at Walmart headquarters are vital to the success and growth of the lab and its partnerships. When asked about his time spent in Arkansas, Justin Patton said “My time as a graduate student at the University of Arkansas changed my life. Without Arkansas I would have never met Bill Hardgrave or helped create the lab. I cannot imagine a different path for my life and I am forever indebted to that school and town.” The opportunity to move the lab opened many doors for Hardgrave, Patton, and Senthil to expand their dream and become a powerhouse in the RFID world. Everyone here at the lab is very appreciative of the University of Arkansas for creating the foundation for the Auburn University RFID Laboratory, and in regards to the football game on Saturday…War Eagle and Go Tigers!
