University of North Florida student Kyle Groothuis, a junior majoring in transportation and logistics, is the first UNF student ever to win the nationally-recognized L.L. Waters Scholarship.

He recently received the $1,000 scholarship at the American Society of Transportation and Logistics annual meeting November 15 in Anaheim, CA. The winner is determined by the trustees of the L.L. Waters Scholarship Fund.

The L.L. Waters Scholarship Program was established to encourage advanced undergraduate study and graduate study in transportation/logistics/physical distribution for the purpose of preparing persons of high potential for professional careers in the field.

“The L.L. Waters Scholarship Trustees selected Kyle for a prestigious Waters Scholarship Award for simultaneously excelling in the classroom, in athletics and for demonstrating leadership abilities,” said David Yeley, L.L. Waters Scholarship Fund chairperson. “Kyle is a bright and involved individual focused on achieving excellence in everything he does. We were delighted to honor such an outstanding and worthy applicant with this award.”

Groothuis maintains a 3.96 GPA as a Division I athlete for the men’s Osprey basketball team and has been an Atlantic Sun academic all conference award winner each year he has played on the team. He has received several scholarships, including the CEVA Logistics Scholarship, the Sea Star Line Endowed Scholarship and the UNF Blue and Gold Scholarship.

In addition to being on the Dean’s List since 2007, Groothuis serves as treasurer/secretary for UNF’s Transportation and Logistics Society as well as pledge master for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. During the 2008-2009 academic year, he was named the UNF Outstanding Fraternity New Member Scholar of the Year, while this past summer, he graduated from the 74^th Annual John O. Moseley Leadership School.

Students eligible for this scholarship must be undergraduate students in their junior year at a fully accredited four-year U.S. college or university, who are enrolled in a degree program in which transportation/logistics is their area of concentration. Awards are given on a competitive basis, based upon scholastic performance and potential, and evidence of the degree of commitment to the pursuit of a professional career in transportation/logistics.

The L.L. Waters Scholarship was set up in honor of Dr. L.L. Waters, University Professor Emeritus of Transportation and Business History at Indiana University’s School of Business, in recognition of his many contributions to undergraduate and graduate level education in transportation and logistics during a teaching career of more than three decades.

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