Worldwide - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Imagine going through the wreckage of an airliner that has broken apart and burned, looking for clues to determine what caused the accident. Only highly trained investigators ever have a chance to take part in such scenarios. Yet, thanks to the rapidly developing technology of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide campus students can examine crashed aircraft in a simulated environment, searching for clues with their computers, tablets, smartphones or AR goggles.

West of Africa’s vast Saharan desert, a bomb explosion on the island of Gran Canaria caused air traffic to be diverted to Tenerife North Airport on neighboring island Tenerife on March 27, 1977. Jets quickly clogged the airport’s only taxiway. KLM Flight 4805 surged for takeoff as Pan Am Flight 1736, obscured by heavy fog, remained on the runway, having missed a turn onto the taxiway.

A high-tech effort to help students feel connected with Embry-Riddle and persist with their studies this week earned a top award for excellence in higher education. The Embry-Riddle Worldwide Retention, Affinity and Persistence initiative was honored by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Cooperative for Educational Technologies – known as WCET.

Across the country, public safety agencies are utilizing sUAS to reduce time and costs while keeping their communities safe. In Florida, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has worked with the Daytona Beach Police Department’s Aviation Unit on a number of fronts to assess hurricane damage, catch criminal suspects and support firefighting efforts. On the West Coast, agencies have used drones to assist in efforts during the recent California wildfires.

Under an unprecedented and far-reaching partnership agreement with Airbus, Embry-Riddle will offer its award-winning educational programs at Flight Works Alabama – a major new aviation experience center designed to build workforce capacity across the aviation and aerospace fields.

What will the aviation and aerospace industry look like in 2030? This question was the focus of Singapore-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Asia first-ever professional conference, AviAsian 2018, which brought together leaders from academia, industry, government and other sectors.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s undergraduate engineering programs at the school’s residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., have once again received superior marks in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Colleges guidebook, an annual listing of more than 1,800 accredited four-year schools in the United States. “It’s great to see the continued high marks these outstanding engineering programs are receiving, given the excellent public and private institutions across the country that offer these degrees. We are proud of our students, faculty and staff for making these programs among the best in the world,” said Dr. P. Barry Butler, president of Embry–Riddle.

International airline pilot, author and doctoral student Karlene Petitt will serve as commencement speaker for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide’s Seattle Campus next month. The commencement ceremony, which will include 65 undergraduate and graduate degree candidates, will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Museum of Flight, 9404 E Marginal Way South, Seattle. Representing more than 20 states, the graduating class consists of 3 active/reserve service members and 6 veterans of the United States armed forces.

Along the shorelines of Menard-May Park in Edgewater, Florida this week, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, flew high above the water capturing high-resolution images and video of this area of Mosquito Lagoon, which is part of the Indian River Lagoon system.

CIO magazine has published an informative article by Thor Olavsrud on how Embry–Riddle’s Vice President and CIO Becky Vasquez and her IT team of digital engineers worked with Worldwide’s College of Aeronautics leadership and faculty to design and build a virtual crash lab and aerial robotics virtual lab. The university group worked closely with business partners Pinnacle Solutions and Unity Technologies to, in effect, integrate the gamification of education into the university’s online curriculum.

Whether serving in leadership positions in space, missile or information technology fields, Col. Kimberley Ramos has a deep appreciation for her 30 years in the U.S. Air Force. But as she prepares to retire, she counts the last four years as commander of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) Detachment 157 on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach Campus as her most rewarding. With 250 to 350 cadets on board at any given time, she has enjoyed “watching them grow, develop and mature.” “You watch students walk in the door who salute with their left hand or can’t tell their right from their left and then four years later, they walk out the door prepared to go into the greatest Air Force in the world,” said Ramos, who also teaches a preparation for active duty course to the cadets. A private retirement ceremony for Ramos is planned for July 26 at the Jim W. Henderson Administration & Welcome Center, although she’ll remain on through Sept. 8 during a transition period.

Over the next decade, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expects to hire and train thousands of air traffic controllers to ensure safety and efficiency within the National Airspace System (NAS). Organizations like the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) examine policy and collaborate with other entities to address new and evolving issues in aviation safety. With more than 30 years of aviation experience, ATCA President and CEO Peter Dumont is a recognized expert in aviation and retired Navy air traffic controller. An alumnus who has studied professional aeronautics, aeronautical science and unmanned systems, Dumont recently shared some insights with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University about today’s air traffic control (ATC) environment.