Worldwide - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

In 2018, Embry-Riddle became the first school to receive Trusted Operator Program (TOP) certification from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The following Q&A was inspired in part by a Commercial UAV News interview with Dr. Joseph Cerreta, assistant professor for Embry-Riddle Worldwide.

As soon as Lindsey Cromwell graduated from college in 2015, her father started telling her to get a master’s degree. In the spring of 2016, she gave in — but only under one condition. “Okay, here’s the deal,” she told him. “I’ll do it if you do it with me.” Three years later, both Cromwells will receive master’s degrees in Engineering Management at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University commencement on Saturday, June 1, in Pensacola, Fla. “Getting a master’s degree in engineering with your daughter is something that you don’t usually get the opportunity to do,” said Lindsey’s father, Brian.

Aiming to make air travel safer, a 21-year-old Embry-Riddle Worldwide student is helping the Federal Aviation Administration streamline and update part of the system pilots use for navigation.  Samridh Sood, a sophomore in the Aeronautics program, worked with Michael Watkins, a senior representative for the FAA in Southeast Asia, Embry-Riddle Assistant Professor and Academic Development Officer Dr. Jack Patel, and Interim Vice-Chancellor and Head of Asia Matthew Flaherty to address the issue of navigation waypoints that have the duplicate names. Airplanes today use GPS to navigate from place to place, but the routes are seldom direct. Instead, pilots use a series of waypoints defined by their geographic coordinates and given names, usually capitalized five-letter words, such as PLGRM – which is near Boston – and TWAIN, which is above the famous writer’s birthplace in Missouri.

Amy Ramos, a senior undergraduate at Embry-Riddle, and two accomplished graduate students – Karen Brun and Heidi Hammerstein – were selected to join a team of 13 talented female scientist-astronaut candidates who will serve as global ambassadors for space science and exploration. The trio was chosen by an astronautics research and education program called Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere). The PoSSUM 13 ambassadors -- so-named to honor the legacy of an earlier group of female astronaut trainees known as the Mercury 13 – will lead student teams participating in an International Microgravity Challenge. Female students between the ages of 13 and 17 are being invited to propose science experiments to be performed in microgravity this October, in concert with the National Research Council of Canada and Project PoSSUM.

An accomplished scientist-astronaut and two leading aerospace executives were unanimously confirmed to serve on the Board of Trustees of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on March 22, 2019.

As Chancellor of the Embry-Riddle Worldwide Campus, Dr. John R. Watret knows the power of women in aviation. Now, he knows what happens when it’s combined with the power of Twitter.

Permanent $3 Million Endowment to Increase Underrepresented Populations in the Pilot Workforce

Embry-Riddle’s Dr. Kristy Kiernan, program chair for the Master of Science in Unmanned Systems, focuses on bringing together the safety culture of aviation and the “innovation culture” of drones, particularly given the promise of drones to benefit society by improving public safety. Recently on Forbes.com, she explored the risks that drones could pose to air travel. Do small unmanned aerial systems, or drones, pose a threat to airplanes and airline passengers? If drones end up where they don’t belong, they could be a hazard to manned aircraft.  We have regulations and technology that should prevent drones from being in the same airspace as manned aircraft, but these safeguards don’t always work.  Alleged drone sightings have shut down operations at Gatwick, Heathrow, Newark, Dubai, Sao Paulo, and Dublin airports, among others. On Feb. 21, 2019, flight operations at Dublin airport were briefly suspended following a confirmed sighting of a drone over the airfield.

For the fourth consecutive year, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Campus has retained the top spot in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.

The world’s premier aviation and aerospace institution, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, earned the No.1 spot on U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 ranking of the United States’ best online bachelor’s degree programs, affirming the school’s focus on academic excellence, affordability and promising career opportunities for graduates.

In true Worldwide fashion, graduation ceremonies are held around the globe in order to accommodate as many students as possible. Students are welcome to participate in any of the following ceremonies. Attendance to any Embry-Riddle graduation event is free. Some ceremonies may require tickets due to the ceremony location. For Graduating Students: Visit the Campus Solutions Student Center to apply for graduation, view your graduation status, or pay your graduation application fee. Visit the Alumni Website for information on alumni benefits, giving, events and more.

Nearly 400 Embry-Riddle Worldwide students and their families from around the world attended the spring commencement ceremony May 4 in the ICI Center at the Daytona Beach Campus. Of those graduating, over half received master’s degrees.