Roger Schroeder, with the support of his wife Marlene, significantly impacted the lives and career of many PhD students and graduates. In honor of Roger's retirement in 2010, former doctoral students of the department presented Roger and Marlene with a fund to support a PhD student award. Their letter to them read as follows:
"Dear Roger and Marlene: As former doctoral students, many of us would not be where we are today had it not been for your mentor-ship and guidance. To show our appreciation and to preserve your legacy as a strong nurturer of doctoral students, we hereby declare the creation of the Roger and Marlene Schroeder Outstanding 1st Year PhD Student Paper Award."
The award this year covers doctoral students since Roger's retirement, and the Supply Chain and Operations faculty have selected George Ball as the first recipient of this award. George's first year paper was titled:
"Manufacturing Involvement in New Product Development: The Impact of Low Inventory"
