From the Editor
The annual Lift, Off the Page event (see photo above) brought four alumni business leaders to campus in April. This interactive business roundtable addressed the challenges, trends and emerging opportunities in aviation business and beyond. If you missed it, watch the video of Lift, Off the Page.
This edition of Lift features the growth and transformation of U.S. airports and several alumni who are leading these efforts. Yet another sign of the booming commercial aviation industry, we got this story idea from a fellow Eagle. See his letter/suggestion (this page). Do you have a story to tell? Is there an interesting topic Lift should explore? Tell us about it.
— Sara Withrow, Editor
‘Good Smells’
I love your magazine and the photo with the musical set-ups on that stage [spring 2019: Tailwinds] — I want to know more about it! I love old photos from ERAU like this.
I loved the student center — the cafeteria — the movie nights! I was at Embry-Riddle from 1993-1998 (five years), and the first two were on campus at Doolittle. It’s weird, but I miss the smells (good smells) and had a lot of friends there — so a lot of memories.
Doolittle and Lehman (another smell — that downstairs computer lab!) are the only buildings there that I remember — that are still standing. I was back once in 2003. There was a storm when I was there, but I still caught up with everyone — old professors and mail center employees/friends. I hope to make it back again for homecoming.
Michael Diraimondo (’98)
B.S. Aerospace Engineering
‘Diversity Is an Issue in Aviation’
As a former National Transportation Safety Board Chief of Staff to the chairman and having had the pleasure of working with member and past chairman of the NTSB Chris Hart and now retired NTSB managing director Dennis Jones (’80), I wholeheartedly agree with your response to the state of our industry as it relates to race [spring 2019: Feedback]. However, I do not believe it’s just a black or white issue but a diversity issue as a whole.
As an ERAU graduate, I have spent well over 20 years in the aviation industry, and the issue of race in the aviation industry has been close and personal. We should all start thinking of ways we can address this issue with the industry, to bring about positive change for future generations.
At AERTRON Inc., we help clients think of ways to foster diversity and innovation through an inclusive, collaborative environment that welcomes diverse points of view and provides transparency within the aviation and transportation industry.
Vishal Amin (’01)
B.S. Aeronautical Science
Airport Expansions in Lift
Is it possible to cover airport expansions in the ERAU alumni magazine? BNA, LAX and LGA all have massive airport expansion plans, which boost commercial real estate and economic development in many cities throughout the world.
Andrew Corum (’07)
B.S. Professional Aeronautics
Editor’s Note: Check out the story in this issue. Thanks, Andrew, for the suggestion.