Second Stewart Award for OBA Leader

The University of Oregon's Lundquist College of Business is pleased to announce that Nagesh N. Murthy has been named its 2024 Stewart Distinguished Professor.

Murthy is an internationally sought-after supply chain expert and the Roger Engemann Professor of Operations and Business Analytics at the college. He is a favorite of students and an inspiring mentor to PhD candidates, partnering with them for research and racking up appearances in top-tier academic journals.

In his nomination, Ehrman V. Giustina Professor Mike Pangburn, head of the Department of Operations and Business Analytics, described Murthy as a champion of students and a catalyst for industry engagement, organizing a speaker series, executive-in-residence program, and an internship showcase each year.

A longtime leader in operations management research and scholarship, Production and Operations Management Society (POMS)—a premier global academic society in the field—has even established the Nagesh Murthy Emerging Economies Doctoral Dissertation Award for Asia in his honor. Murthy was president of the POMS Board in 2023 and was also recently the conference chair for the Decision Sciences Institute Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, November 18–20, 2023.

Here in Oregon, Murthy is also the lead investigator tapped to develop a strategic plan for the multi-million dollar Additive Innovation Center within Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC) Research & Development. The Additive Innovation Center will put Oregon on the map as a powerhouse of cutting-edge technologies in the world of 3D metals printing at an industrial scale.

An active researcher in sustainable supply chains, Murthy also recently completed research sponsored by the Department of Defense and Manufacturing 21 to study the implications of two innovative approaches for improving supply chain performance in the aerospace industry: input material reduction incentives and scrap material recycling.

The Stewart Distinguished Faculty Award is the Lundquist College's most prestigious, bestowed yearly on a faculty member with demonstrated accomplishments in research, teaching, and leadership (or a combination) that lead to distinction at a world-class level and further the strategic objectives of the college and the University of Oregon. It is funded by alumnus Tom Stewart, a past member of the college's Board of Advisors and former trustee of the UO Foundation.

This year's award is particularly significant because it makes Murthy the first-ever faculty member to have received the award more than once, having first received it in 2012.

"Nagesh is a key connector, engaging industry partners with students for internships in the region as well as bringing top talent to the classroom," Gene Rhee, executive director of Mohr Career Services, Office of Industry and Alumni Engagement, who also nominated Murthy for the award.

"These speakers and presentations help our students explore careers, potentially gain internship experience, and build student social capital," said Rhee. "Nagesh also introduces me and my team to many of the speakers that he has brought to campus in order to potentially build stronger industry relationships."

"We are very proud to honor Nagesh with the Stewart award," said Edward Maletis Dean Bruce Blonigen of the Lundquist College. "He is a valued colleague and inspiration not only to our students but also to our faculty and staff. It is very fitting that he is the first to receive this honor twice. Thank you, Nagesh for your passion, dedication, and enthusiasm."

—AnneMarie Knepper-Sjoblom '05, Lundquist College Communications