Lift - Spring 2012 - (Page 18)

G IV I N G TO E M B RY-R I D D L E Multiplication effect Embry-Riddle Professor of Aeronautical Science Ted Beneigh and his wife, Deborah, broaden the impact of giving by investing in future faculty T Above left: Ted Beneigh stands on the balcony at the new Emil Buehler Aviation Maintenance Building at the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach ﬂightline. Inset: Ted Beneigh, right, evaluates Doris Jaupi’s performance in a senior-level ﬂight management exercise for a course in aeronautical science. BY A N THO N Y B R OW N ed Beneigh says he believes that Henry David Thoreau had it right when he advised, “Go con dently in the direction of your dreams.” A professor at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus, Beneigh hopes to allow others to do the same with a planned gift that supports faculty in the Aeronautical Science Department. “What I think I can do the most to help students is keep my fellow faculty at the cutting edge of their professions,” Beneigh says. The decision to support faculty instead of students directly may seem counterintuitive at rst glance, but for Beneigh, it’s simple math: “Let’s say I wanted to donate $15,000 for a scholarship and two students get that. The bene t of that scholarship would be two students,” Beneigh says. “But if I gave that $15,000 to the entire department and they send 10 faculty to different programs, and each of those faculty has 30 students in the classroom, now I have affected 300 students, rather than two.” EASING THE BURDEN Beneigh’s rationale comes from his years as a faculty member at Embry-Riddle. In his 35-year career, he has amassed impressive experience that includes stints as a ight instructor, ight standards director and now as a professor of aeronautical science. He recently helped launch a new bachelor’s degree program in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Science (see related story page 4). His work with the new UAS degree program had a lot to do with Beneigh’s decision to support faculty with his gift. “The only way I was able to help develop the degree program was to go out and learn it,” he says. “And somebody— in this case, the university—had to pay for it.” Beneigh says he believes his gift will ease the university’s nancial burden a little and allow faculty members the means to enhance their education, and then pass that on to students. “Thousands of students could be helped, depending on the magnitude of what faculty 18 LIFT SPRING 2012 GIVINGTO.ERAU.EDU Classroom photo by Daryl Labello http://GIVINGTO.ERAU.EDU

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

Lift - Spring 2012
Contents
Letter from the President
Chatter
Boundless
Wings of Legacy
Flight Path
Home on the Range
Emphasis: Innovation
Giving to Embry-Riddle
Alumni in Action
Alumni News
Class Notes

Lift - Spring 2012