Ashur Webster is applying analytics to tackle the environmental toll of disposable clothing—while preparing for a career in aerospace supply chains
Ashur Webster
The challenges Ashur Webster faced when he arrived at the University of Denver five years ago weren’t all that different from other first-years: What do you study in a world with broad professional opportunities that also demands specialization?
The management degree he landed on taught him the teamwork and critical thinking he would need to succeed.
But after graduating, “I felt like I was lacking some confidence and maybe some motivation in actually finding a job,” Webster recalled.
That honest realization prompted him to pursue a master’s in business analytics, where some valuable technical skills could complement his management background.
It was there that Orkun Baycik, an assistant professor in the Daniels College of Business Department of Business Information and Analytics, introduced him to an ongoing research project on fast fashion, an industry Webster admits he knew little about.
Fast fashion, also called disposable fashion, refers to the rapid production of inexpensive, trendy clothing sold by Zara, H&M, Shein and others. The model thrives on explosive consumer demand for up-to-the-minute fashion, which comes at a steep environmental price. Low-quality garments are worn and discarded quickly, straining global supply chains and creating mountains of textile waste.
This project has really been eye-opening to me. It introduced me to the unpredictability and uncertainty of real-world problems—the types of things I’ll be facing after I graduate.
— Ashur Webster
Webster recognized an opportunity to apply his optimization modeling studies to a pressing global issue. Baycik and other students had already documented the industry’s waste problem and proposed preliminary solutions. Webster’s charge was to expand that work using a more rigorous analytical model.
“The project is centered around the fast fashion supply chain,” he explained. “These retailers contribute to an enormous amount of waste based on their business model of selling low-cost, rapidly produced items.”
The research involves building two models: one that reflects the current state of the fast fashion supply chain, and another that incorporates potential solutions to reduce waste. By comparing the two, Webster hopes to identify actionable insights that could inform industry practices and influence consumer behavior.
“We’re going to replicate the supply chain in a way that we can feed it real data, which will then allow us to examine how much waste is reduced,” he said. “We hope that our results will inform consumers to make more sustainable choices and help reduce waste in the clothing industry.”
A survey component adds another layer, capturing consumer behavior around clothing purchases and disposal. This data will help align supply chain solutions with real-world habits, making the research more practical and impactful.
On a personal level, the project has been transformative for Webster.
“This project has really been eye-opening to me,” he said. “It introduced me to the unpredictability and uncertainty of real-world problems—the types of things I’ll be facing after I graduate.”
These lessons will serve him well as he embarks upon his professional career. After two internships with United Launch Alliance, a rocket manufacturer and launch provider, Webster accepted a full-time offer as a project management analyst.
While his immediate future lies in aerospace supply chains rather than fashion, the skills he’s honed—modeling complex systems, using computer programming (Python) to solve them, analyzing inefficiencies and proposing solutions—are transferable across industries.
“Even though I’m not directly planning on working in the apparel industry, it’s helped me develop certain skills I’ll need in aerospace,” he said.
Webster is ready to launch.