NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three students and an aviation professional were named recipients of the first annual Robert V. “Bob” Dahl Memorial Scholarship at Cargo Facts Symposium this week. 

The scholarship is named after Bob Dahl, the long-time lead consultant of Cargo Facts Consulting. 

“Dahl, who passed away in March 2025, left us a legacy rooted in curiosity, humility and mentorship,” JJ Hornblass, founder and chief executive of Royal Media, said. 

“The scholarship fund that bears his name continues that spirit by opening doors for the next generation.” 

The four individuals, who were chosen for leadership potential, demonstrating analytical thinking and having a strong interest in aviation and logistics, are: 

• Ali Abbas, a junior at Purdue University who is studying aviation management with a minor in organizational leadership. He is an aspiring professional pilot and  Posse Scholar at Purdue, a distinction that reflects his commitment to leadership and academic excellence.  
• Abram Anderson, a senior commercial aviation major at the University of North Dakota, who also is pursuing pilot training. 
• Thema Greene, a principal investigator in NASA‘s L’SPACE program who leads a team developing a mission proposal in autonomy, artificial intelligence and space robotics. She is a human factors and systems engineer focused on how people and intelligent machines work together. 
• Yinfei Liu, a doctoral student at Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology whose research focuses on advanced air mobility and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. She is particularly interested in cargo operations, fleet scheduling and charging infrastructure. 

“William James, known as the father of American psychology, once said: ‘Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does,’” Hornblass said. “We also hope these scholars make a great difference in aviation and the world.” 

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