Lift - Fall 2012 - (Page 2)

Letter from the President Embry-Riddle alumni can be found at the highest levels in nearly every major career field across the nation and world. However, John Paul Riddle and T. Higbee Embry’s particular interest in aviation undoubtedly influenced the direction of our university, and this is evident today in our strength in numbers of alumni working in the aviation and aerospace industries. Since the 1958 creation of NASA, and arguably decades earlier, Americans have been fascinated with space. Embry-Riddle alumni are no exception. Among our more than 100,000 Strong are more than 100 NASA employees, six astronauts, and hundreds more who work for private aerospace businesses. As the U.S. space program evolves to include commercial contracts for low Earth orbit activities, the number of Eagles adventuring into space promises to grow substantially. Our alumni were involved in nearly every aspect of SpaceX’s successful launch and inaugural docking of the Dragon spacecraft with the International Space Station in May (page 16). I commend them for their contributions to this historic commercial feat and look forward to the next accomplishments in space, whether private or NASA-operated. Embry-Riddle alumni are truly everywhere in this industry, and they often work together to achieve even greater heights. Take for example Leland Shanle Jr. (’92, WW), who along with Sean McDonald (’93, WW), Morris Barnett (’98, WW) and others collaborated with a group of safety scientists and Discovery Channel to pull off a controlled crash landing of the largest drone to date—a 727 airliner (page 8). The experiment promises to transform the way the safety industry equips and adapts aircraft for crash landings, and the assessment of such disasters. Our alumni are also shaping the future of rotorcraft (page 22); creating business strategies for commercial airport development and operation (page 10); and making an impact on programs such as production and distribution of the Boeing 787, the Department of Defense’s Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System and commercial transportation (page 13). On Campus Embry-Riddle continues to improve its infrastructure in support of students and faculty. I am happy to announce that construction of a new College of Arts and Sciences building for the Daytona Beach Campus has begun (page 5); and a new laboratory building is in the early planning stages for the Prescott Campus. The Jim W. Henderson Administration and Welcome Center is scheduled to open this fall at the Daytona Beach Campus. Development of the Embry-Riddle Aerospace Research and Technology Park adjacent to the Daytona Beach Campus continues as well. I’m pleased to announce that the State of Florida dedicated $8.97 million of its 2012–13 budget toward infrastructure improvements at the park. The grant funds will greatly assist the university in laying the groundwork to secure long-term tenants and industry partners. We view the facility as key to our progress in becoming an “entrepreneurial university” that fosters business startups and aids in technology transfer and patent development. The research park will ultimately accommodate more than 600,000 square feet of research, laboratory and office space and is projected to employ more than 2,000 people. This is, indeed, an exciting time of transformation for Embry-Riddle and for our alumni in the aviation and aerospace industries. Warmest regards, John P. Johnson, Ph.D. President and CEO Lift, the alumni magazine of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, is published twice annually (spring and fall) Copyright © 2012 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida/Arizona/Worldwide • 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, Fla. 32114 • Volume 8, No. 2 • All rights reserved. Associate Vice President, Marketing, Corporate and Alumni Relations: Rick Larsen (’78, ’79, DB) • Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations: Michéle Berg • Editor: Sara Withrow • Communications Specialist: Kelly Cuculiansky Pratt Director, Alumni Relations, Prescott: Bill Thompson (’87, PC) • Associate Director, Alumni Relations, Daytona Beach: Edmund Odartey (’04, ’10, DB) • Associate Director, Alumni Relations - Outreach: Keith Deaton (’05, DB) • Archivist: Kevin Montgomery Published by McMurry. Managing Content Editor: Shelley Flannery • Design Director: Marc Oxborrow • Production Manager: Tanya Clark • Production Technology Specialist: Julie Chan • Account Director: Paul Peterson Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, handicap, veteran’s status or sexual orientation. Nonprofit identification: 59-0936101. Change address, unsubscribe or email the editor at liftmag@erau.edu. 2 LIFT FALL 2012 www.ERAUALUmnI.oRg http://WWW.ERAUALUMNI.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lift - Fall 2012

Lift - Fall 2012
Contents
Letter from the President
Chatter
Wings of Legacy
Flight Path
Moving Mountains
Carving New Ventures
What Presence!
Releasing the Dragon
Giving to Embry-Riddle
Alumni in Action
Alumni News
Class Notes

Lift - Fall 2012