The Georgia Institute of Technology's Executive Master's International Logistics (EMIL) program has chosen this year's international scholarship recipients, selecting four professionals to receive a $20,000 scholarship to be applied toward tuition for the program.

Winners of this year's scholarships included Heidi Cerrud of Panama, procurement officer for the regional logistics unit of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; Gabriella Toro of Venezuela, lean manufacturing coordinator for Dana Venezuela; Bublu Sarbani Thakur-Weigold of Germany, supply chain management consultant for innovation diffusion at Hewlett-Packard; and Alec Ang of Singapore, supply chain logistics director for Asia Pacific at DHL International.

"It's truly an honor to be chosen for this opportunity," said Cerrud. "Through my participation in the EMIL Program, I expect to grow as a logistician; better enabling me to support Red Cross/Red Crescent's relief operations to disaster victims."

"The EMIL Scholarship winners have each demonstrated exceptional dedication and industry expertise over the course of their careers," said John Vande Vate, EMIL executive director. "It's this continued cross-pollination of professional expertise and international perspectives that makes EMIL the most unique logistics masters program in the world."

To qualify, scholarship applicants had to reside and do business in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America or Europe, as well as be admitted to EMIL as a degree-seeking student with program start date of at least February 2004. Scholarship applicants were required to have demonstrated career success, a clear potential for leadership and a desire to fully participate in EMIL's educational experience.

This 18-month masters program was designed to keep key employees on-the-job while teaching them techniques for decreasing logistics costs and improving supply chain efficiencies. Courses are delivered through faculty lectures, industry speakers, case studies, group projects and company presentations. During international residences, participants also meet with government officials to discuss customs issues, taxes and trade agreements.

According to the program, 50 percent of EMIL participants have an MBA, 15 percent are vice presidents, 45 percent are at a director level, and most participants have 10 to 15 years of on-the-job experience. Instead of a Master's thesis, EMIL participants complete an 18-month "real-world" business project, tailored to add value to their sponsoring organizations.

EMIL is a program of Georgia Tech's School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, which has been recognized for 13 of the past 14 years by U.S. News and World Report as the top industrial engineering graduate program in the United States.