Students at Vaughn College in East Elmhurst participated in a forum on Tuesday, April 22, exploring how artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are transforming the delivery industry across New York City and beyond.
The event, hosted by the Queens Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Vaughn College, featured a panel of technology and transportation executives who discussed innovations in last-mile delivery using bikes, trucks, “blue highways,” airports, and drones. Panelists addressed how businesses can use AI-driven tools to optimize delivery routes, anticipate consumer demand, and improve efficiency in a dense urban environment like Queens.
Speakers included Thomas Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce; Rudy Cazares, owner of Cazar Logistics LLC; Nicholas Day, co-CEO of Edge Auto Rental; Steven Spinello, head of policy and partnerships at Skyports; Larry Zogby, CEO of RDS Delivery; and Zach Miller, director of metro region operations at the Trucking Association of New York.
The discussion highlighted the growing role of micro hubs — small distribution centers where cargo bikes, scooters, or drones complete deliveries after trucks make initial drop-offs — to meet the rising demand for same-day delivery. Miller emphasized that micro hubs offer a way to enhance customer satisfaction while easing congestion in city streets.
Panelists also stressed the urgent need to build a talent pipeline for industries such as trucking, mechanics, and aviation, which are facing aging workforces. More than one million aviation professionals will be needed globally over the next decade, according to industry estimates.
The forum concluded with a fireside chat on workforce development between Vaughn College President Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo and 1010 WINS reporter Glenn Schuck. DeVivo noted that Vaughn’s curriculum trains students in fields such as AI, cybersecurity, and engineering to prepare them for careers driving the future of transportation and logistics.
“It is an exciting future, and Vaughn College is helping to build that pipeline of talent that will power the borough for future generations, whether by land, sea, or the friendly skies,” DeVivo said. “This includes our new enhanced AT-CTI program, which will help address the significant demand for air traffic controllers, and it is all happening at Vaughn in the most exciting urban environment in the world.”
Beginning this fall, Vaughn College will launch its Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) curriculum after receiving approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to train and certify air traffic controllers.
Founded in 1932, Vaughn College is a private, nonprofit institution offering engineering, technology, management, and aviation programs to more than 1,300 students. The college is located near LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-serving institution. A study by The Equality of Opportunity Project ranked Vaughn number one nationwide in upward mobility.
