Andrea Coppick (’93, PC) authored Georgia Goes to Lunch, an illustrated children’s book. The story is based on the author’s first ride in a small airplane and how it inspired her dreams of becoming a pilot. Coppick is an airline pilot and a philanthropist. She established the Dare to Dream Scholarship through Women in Aviation International in 2009, which assists women seeking advanced aviation training. “From that first airplane ride, I’ve always known I wanted to fly. Every flying adventure has been part of an incredible journey, and I love to share that passion with young children,” she says.
Melvin M. Vuk, Ph.D., retired associate professor for Global Security and Intelligence Studies at the Prescott Campus, is a contributing author of the Encyclopedia of U.S. Intelligence, a two volume set published December 2014, by CRC Press. A reference source for government agencies and research libraries, the encyclopedias also highlight the development and practice of intelligence in the United States. In addition to a print version, the set is available in a continually updated online version. Authored by former intelligence professionals and scholars, the encyclopedia is the first definitive work to record U.S. intelligence, its history, prominent figures and intelligence agencies, and to feature key events that have shaped the present U.S. intelligence environment.
Retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force Col. Ronald J. Garan Jr. (’95, WW) authored The Orbital Perspective: Lessons in Seeing the Big Picture from a Journey of 71 Million Miles, published in 2015. Drawing on his experience living and working on the International Space Station and viewing the grandeur of Earth from space, Garan’s book functions as a call to action for people to lay political and cultural differences aside to collectively care and feed planet Earth and its people.
Kenneth O. Jenkins (’11, WW) authored Resilience: Stories of Courage and Survival from Aviation Disasters, published in April 2015. The book explores the personal stories of airplane crash survivors and family members as they navigate the recovery process and find ways to integrate their crash experiences into their new lives.