A supply chain management undergraduate student was recently named the John J. Murphy Scholarship Recipient by the Food Shippers of America.

Nathan Ferrel, a freshman supply chain management major, received the award in Palm Desert, California, during the 2023 Food Shippers of America Annual Conference. This nationally competitive award is given to one student each year with a minimum 3.0 GPA, who will be attending a college the following fall semester and is a child or dependent (including spouse) of a supply chain or logistics department employee whose individual membership dues are current.

"Attending the 2023 Food Shippers of America Conference solidified my choice of being a supply chain management major," Ferrel said. "Being able to network and have conversations with people that work in the supply chain industry allowed me to get an understanding of the industry first-hand that I hadn't seen before."

The John J. Murphy Scholarship is awarded by the FSA in remembrance of John Murphy, one of the long-standing members of FSA both as a food manufacturer and as FSA staff. Murphy spent 40-plus years in the transportation industry. After he retired, he spent 14 years as the executive director of FSA.

In 2022, Ferrel was also named a finalist for the scholarship. Attending the conference in person, however, was almost just as impactful for Ferrel as winning the award this year when it comes to his pursuit of a major in supply chain management. 

"I would highly recommend any student in supply chain to attend this or any other specific conference that relates to the supply chain or transportation industries," Ferrel said. "This was an eye-opening experience, and I can't wait to see where my career in supply chain management takes me!"