Management PhD students, Janina Hufsky and Ganapathy Muthuthandavam, are this year's joint winners of the Fenwall Prize, the School’s top award for postgraduate research (PGR) students.
Sponsored by the University of Liverpool Alumni, late Dr Andrew Douglas, the Fenwall Prize of £1,000 is an annual award presented to one or two outstanding first-year doctoral students, as part of our annual PhD Conference.
Jenina, a first year PhD student from the School’s Work, Organisation and Management (WOM) Group, has been recognised due to her exceptional academic performance and securing a place on the prestigious Hybrid Fellowship Programme with the University of Georgia (UGA).
As part of this fellowship, she will undertake an international visit to the UGA campus in Athens, Georgia, where she’ll be mentored by a leading scholar in the field of workaholism - an invaluable opportunity that reflects both her potential and dedication to her field of study.
“I am greatly honoured to have received the Fenwall Prize and grateful to see my efforts recognised so early in my PhD journey”, said Janina.
“This award inspires me to continue striving for excellence in research and reinforces my commitment to contributing meaningfully to the academic community.
“I am thankful to be part of such a supportive and motivating environment at the University of Liverpool.”
Also first year student, Ganapathy, has been an exceptionally active Graduate Teaching Fellow, quickly becoming a familiar face within the School’s Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM) Group.
The award recognises his strong commitment to academic engagement by, actively participating and presenting in many academic events both in the UK and internationally.
These include the Methods Fair at the University of Manchester, the Operations Research and Management Workshop at the University of Bristol, the TAPMI-Max Planck Winter School in India, the Online Northeastern Qualitative Research Conference, the OSCM Summer School Research Fellows Showcase at the University of Liverpool, etc.
“I am profoundly honoured and deeply grateful to be the recipient of the Fenwall Prize”, said Ganapathy.
“This prestigious award is a significant recognition of my academic engagement and the progress of my research on "Influence of the Plastic Packaging Tax on Business and Supply Chain Sustainability: Learning for the Future UK Environmental Policies.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to my supervisors Dr Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy and Professor Andrew Lyons, whose unwavering guidance, invaluable insights and consistent support have been absolutely instrumental in my journey.
“Furthermore, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the late donor's family for their immense generosity and for establishing this meaningful prize.
“Receiving the Fenwall Prize serves as a powerful encouragement and a profound motivation that will undoubtedly propel my dedication to contributing impactful research in my field.”
Alongside The Fenwall Prize, ten other PhD students who demonstrated research excellence and notable contributions to their respective fields were also awarded with the University of Liverpool Management School PGR Awards:
- Zihang Luo, Accounting and Finance PhD student
- Fran Setiawan, Management PhD student (OSCM)
- Claire Lebrun, Economics PhD student
- Clare Westcott, Management PhD student (OSCM)
- Nathan Davies, Management PhD student (OSCM)
- Lin Luo ACFI, Accounting and Finance PhD student
- Victoria Biagi, Economics PhD student
- Vinicius Gracio Michelon, Management PhD student (WOM)
- Aqib Wassy Deepta, Management PhD student (Strategy, International Business and Entrepreneurship)
- Ebru Calin, Management PhD student (WOM)
The doctoral awards ceremony is part of the half-day Management School’s PhD Conference 2025, which provided students with a practical overview of the academic career pathway beyond the PhD: from completing their doctoral studies to securing their first post in academia.
This included expert insights and tips to helps PhD students shape their profiles, prepare strong applications and perform confidently at interviews, both in the UK and internationally.
This is part of the School’s contribution to key areas of the Vitae Researcher Development Framework, particularly personal qualities (B1), self-management (B2), professional and career development (B3) and professional conduct (C1).