As alumni, you are invested in our performance and the success of fellow Eagles, and so I am proud to share highlights, based on our strategic plan (2018-2023) that raise the value of your Embry-Riddle degree.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. We continue to build a national reputation, with top 10 rankings from U.S. News & World Report in multiple areas: Best for Veterans, Best Undergraduate Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering Programs and Most Innovative. We also ranked highly as a Best Southern Regional University and Best Value.
STABILITY AND GROWTH. Responsible financial management and strong credit ratings allowed us to add academic programs, faculty, staff and resources to support growing enrollment. Over five years, we have directed $400 million to capital expenditures, and improvements are underway on our campuses.
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP. Embry-Riddle Worldwide reaches more than 22,000 students. Nearly half are active-military personnel, and our Singapore Campus has grown to 600 students.
POSITIONING STUDENTS FOR EMERGING CAREER PATHS. We remain aligned with the needs of aerospace employers, adding programs such as a Master of Space Operations degree that attracted double its predicted enrollment.
RESEARCH EXPENDITURES NEAR $27 MILLION. Our Research Park is occupied and expansion is underway. The past year saw eight Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, new patent disclosures and two patents.
CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE LEVERAGE OUR STRENGTHS. Research investment will focus on multidisciplinary centers of excellence that reflect our expertise, such as our Center for Aerospace Resilience (CAR). New centers of excellence may focus on autonomous systems, aerospace data science and artificial intelligence and flight research.
IMPACT OF PHILANTHROPY. An increase in donors and scholarship contributions allowed us to add 50 new scholarships, totaling $1.18 million. This generosity helps 96% of Eagles land a job or enter graduate school within a year of graduation.
EMBRACING SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY. Our efforts to support others worldwide, advance environmental stewardship and address such critical social issues as diversity and inclusion are outlined in a new report, which can be found at alumni.erau.edu/ser. As part of these efforts, please review our plan to reduce Lift’s carbon footprint, as announced in this issue’s letter from the editor on page 4.
These are just some of the ways in which our students, faculty and staff are elevating Embry-Riddle across the globe. With your continued pride and support, I am confident that the best is yet to come.
P. Barry Butler, Ph.D.
President