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NEW YORK — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and MMR are jointly funding a scholarship program to help support and attract new talent to the health care industry.
A recipient is expected to be announced at the event MMR is hosting in New York on June 11 to recognize “Mass Market Retailing’s Most Influential Women.”
Beth Allgaier, senior vice president for business development and industry relations at CHPA, says the idea to fund a scholarship came up during a meeting of the association’s Next Generation subcommittee, which is comprised of CHPA member company representatives devoted to helping develop and recruit the next generation of leaders to the health care industry. At a committee meeting, someone mentioned hearing a similar idea from Chris Stanton of Racher Press, which publishes MMR and Chain Drug Review.
“It seemed that we were very aligned in our goals,” Allgaier says, “so it was an easy decision to move ahead with the idea and use both of our platforms to let the industry know and hopefully create that kind of ripple effect that will lead to consumer health care companies getting involved doing something similar.”
A portal is now open for candidates to apply for the $5,000 scholarship through Florida A&M University, a leading HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). To qualify for the one-year scholarship, applicants should be African American women who are sophomores or juniors enrolled in the School of Business and Industry. There is also a minimum GPA requirement.
Partnering with MMR on this scholarship is part of CHPA’s ongoing effort to raise awareness of the health care industry as a potential career path for undergraduates with diverse backgrounds that mirror the industry’s consumer base, Allgaier says. “We are building awareness of our industry through partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities, and supporting our corporate leaders who want to explore ways to partner with universities in their areas, and build new relationships with academia.”
Stanton notes MMR has long recognized outstanding retail leadership, including with its “Most Influential Women” issue. “We hope this award opens the door for all retailers and suppliers to recognize the talent of young minds ready to make a contribution.”
