Past Scholarship Recipients
2025 Recipient: Alexander West
AGTA was proud to announce Alexander West as the 2025 Ray and Sandy Mundy Scholarship recipient.
Alex is a Logistics Captain in the United States Army and a graduate student at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam School of Business. He brings extensive experience in management, planning, development, and logistics resourcing, with military assignments across Tacoma/Seattle, South Korea, White Sands, and El Paso. His work has primarily supported Brigade Combat Teams, with expertise in distribution, transportation, materials requirements planning (MRP), and operations management.
Alex also has specialized experience in aerial resupply, ground logistics, and the deployment of personnel and equipment by air, sea, and rail, offering valuable insight into complex, large-scale transportation operations.
Alex attended the AGTA Fall 2025 Conference in San Antonio, Texas, where he was a featured Tuesday Luncheon Speaker. His presentation focused on the use of air freight within the U.S. Army, logistics and air transportation operations, and emerging developments in autonomous vehicles.
2024 Inaugural Recipient: Kenny Sagona
Kenny Sagona, a student in the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was recognized as the first-ever recipient of the Ray and Sandy Mundy Scholarship at the AGTA Conference in Salt Lake City in September 2024.
Kenny currently works as a procurement buyer for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and previously served as a system controller for SkyWest Airlines, managing flight delays, cancellations, and diversion recovery. Drawing on this real-world experience, Kenny delivered a presentation titled “The Role of Airport Ground Transportation in Flight Diversions.”
His presentation addressed the importance of proactive contingency planning during irregular operations and highlighted opportunities for better coordination between airlines and ground transportation providers, particularly to improve the passenger experience during disruptions. Kenny also emphasized the business and service opportunities associated with high-value travelers, who represent a significant portion of airline revenue.
Presenting to the AGTA audience marked the largest professional audience Kenny had addressed to date. He was nominated to present by AGTA Executive Director Dr. Jeff Trombly, who taught Kenny in a network and distribution planning course and recognized the relevance of his research to the industry.