Atlanta—The Industrial Distribution Assn. announced that University of Alabama at Birmingham senior Adam Yost has been chosen as the first recipient of the Gary L. Buffington Memorial Scholarship.

"Adam exhibited a hard work ethic at school, and while the five semifinalists for the scholarship were unbelievable and amazing, Adam was just a cut above the rest," said W. Scott Parrish of Turner Supply Co., chairman of the scholarship's selection committee.

Created in 2003 as a memorial to former I.D.A. executive vice president Gary Buffington, the $10,000 scholarship will be awarded each year to a rising senior in a qualified undergraduate industrial distribution program.

Ranked number one in his class at UAB, Yost achieved a 3.62 GPA in major course work and an overall 3.59 GPA on a 4.0 scale. While at UAB, he also has been awarded a presidential scholarship and qualified as a GAPP Participant, attending the University at Badkrueznach in Germany as an exchange scholar. He will graduate in summer '05, and plans to begin a career in industrial distribution.

"After my 13 years of working relationship and personal relationship with Gary Buffington, I feel confident that Adam is exactly the type of individual who would instantly win Gary's respect for scholarship, dedication to improving the state of our industry, unselfish concern for others, an appreciation of the global world, seeking an opportunity to improve himself, and succeeding in meeting challenges to accomplish his goals," said Jay Smith, director of UAB's Industrial Distribution program.

Said Parrish, "Mike Buffington represented the Buffington family during the interview and selection process. We were looking for good students, good citizens, with an ID curriculum, who did well at their studies and were involved in the community, and most of all, represented the ideals that Gary Buffington stood for. We are very excited to do this again next year."