Dr. Chris Caplice of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will by awarded this year's CSCMP Distinguished Service Award.

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) announced yesterday that it will present its 2016 Distinguished Service Award to Chris Caplice, executive director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Center for Transportation and Logistics, at its Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., on September 26, 2016.

CSCMP's Distinguished Service Award is bestowed upon an individual for significant achievements in the logistics and supply chain management professions. Presented annually, the award was instituted in 1965 as a tribute to logistics pioneer John Drury Sheahan.

"Dr. Caplice has dedicated himself to being a leader in supply chain management, from his involvement in education to his innovative work in identifying and developing technologies that have contributed to the improved efficiency and effectiveness of transportation, logistics, and supply chain processes, he has had a dramatic impact in shaping the supply chain discipline as we know it," said Rick Blasgen, president and CEO of CSCMP.

In addition to his role as executive director of the Center for Transportation and Logistics, Dr. Caplice has also held key roles at Logistics.com, Sabre Holdings, and the Virginia Military Institute, and served as an officer in the U.S. Army. The award recognizes his contributions to the discipline from both an industry and an academic perspective.

His research is well-respected in the academic community and beyond, according to nominator Yossi Sheffi, MIT professor and past recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. "Dr. Caplice's research is path-breaking academically," Sheffi said. "It has been used by numerous companies to improve their operations, cut costs, and improve service levels. His work has even contributed to various governments' understanding of the challenges of supply chain management."

Currently, Caplice is leading a new program at MIT called "Micromasters," where learners all over the world are able to take courses online, complete a comprehensive exam, and then apply to MIT. If accepted, these individuals are able to attend the university for a semester and obtain a master's degree. Due to Caplice's innovations in online learning, MIT's supply chain management program was chosen to lead this initiative. Caplice has already taught three of these courses, serving 97,000 students from over 175 countries. According to CSCMP, he is leading the charge in "democratizing" supply chain knowledge and making it more accessible to a larger population.

Editor's note: Dr. Caplice wrote the article "Transportation: the road ahead" in the Q1 2013 issue of our sister publication, CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly. The Quarterly also published an interview with Caplice on the topic of freight costs in its Q1 2010 issue.