When Emily Murphy was three years old, she dreamed of growing up to be an elephant. But, since that seemed a bit implausible, she opened her mind and began to dream of an occupation more fitting for humans — she decided to become a forensic scientist. Emily received a full tuition scholarship for graduate studies in forensic science at Virginia Commonwealth University and earned a teaching assistantship.

But that is where Emily’s dream ended.

On Nov. 2, 2002, Emily Murphy died in a car accident in Washington, D.C. Always in pursuit of knowledge, she had traveled to Washington that day to tour the Spy Museum.

Emily was a vibrant young woman with a promising future. She was a smart, dedicated student and an inspiration to faculty and students alike. She was only 22 years old.

The Emily R. Murphy Scholarship in Forensic Science was established in her honor. Family, friends, alumni, students and faculty have contributed to this fund to bring it to endowment — ensuring that the Emily R. Murphy Scholarship will be available into perpetuity. The scholarship is awarded each spring to a graduate student in forensic science. The award is based on merit.

To learn more about the scholarship, e-mail fos@vcu.edu.