This past year has been iconic for our Embry-Riddle family. Our new president, P. Barry Butler, has been at the helm for 12 months now and counting. Under his leadership, there is a renewed spirit of collaboration and a positive energy infusing our campuses and strengthening the university’s global influence and reputation.
Welcoming New Alumni Around the World
New Embry-Riddle offerings remain focused on meeting the needs of the aviation and aerospace industries — worldwide. In December, we celebrated 30 new graduates of Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide Campus in Central and South America. Representing Brazil’s four major airlines, the students traveled to the Daytona Beach Campus to complete their professional aviation management program requirements and receive their certificates. The course was tailor-made to fulfill the growing demand for aviation professionals in Brazil.
Our Asia Campus in Singapore continues to grow in numbers and status. In December, the campus welcomed 112 new graduates, its largest graduating class to date. Since its first commencement ceremony in 2012, Embry-Riddle has conferred more than 300 degrees from its Singapore Campus. Both President Butler and Worldwide Campus Chancellor John R. Watret attended the momentous event.
And in February, I had the opportunity to meet some of our distinguished Asia Campus alumni (pictured at top).
While our global focus is important, we’re not ignoring our industry’s needs here at home. A partnership between Embry-Riddle and Northrop Grumman that launched in January 2017 is filling an educational gap in the United States for airworthiness engineering (See related story: Filling the Airworthiness Gap).
The wings of Embry-Riddle’s alumni network stretch far and wide. We are proud and we should be. Our graduates are in demand in all areas of expertise. Our alumni are leaders of companies, organizations, commands, projects and divisions that are keeping the world safe and taking us to exciting new horizons.
Calling All Eagles
We encourage you to stay connected and take advantage of our growing alumni base. This past year we brought more Embry-Riddle Eagles together than ever before, and we want to thank all who participated. I invite you to join us in 2018 at one (or more) of our 100-plus events. Find an upcoming event near you at alumni.erau.edu/events.
Respectfully and Forever an Eagle,
Bill Thompson (’87, PC)
Executive Director