Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Encyclopedia
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (generally referred to as Embry-Riddle or ERAU) is a private university
in the US specializing in aviation and aerospace engineering. It teaches the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace. Called "The Harvard of the Sky" by Time Magazine in 1979, Embry-Riddle has a history dating back to the early days of aviation. Students enroll in one of two residential campuses located in Daytona Beach, Florida
, and Prescott, Arizona
, or in Embry-Riddle Worldwide
, composed of over 170 campuses around the world including online learning. Embry-Riddle Worldwide serves working civilians and serving military personnel. According to AMTSociety's Aircraft Maintenance Technology Embry-Riddle has one of the largest and most well-regarded Aerospace Engineering programs in the USA.
Embry-Riddle began in 1925 as the Embry-Riddle Company, an aircraft dealer and airmail provider, founded by Talton Higbee Embry and John Paul Riddle
in Cincinnati, Ohio
. The company was incorporated in 1930 into what is now American Airlines
. In Miami, Florida
, during the buildup to World War II
, Riddle partnered with John G. McKay and his wife Isabel to found the Embry-Riddle School of Aviation, and later, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute, which moved to Daytona Beach, Florida in 1965 and was renamed Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1970. The Prescott, Arizona, campus opened in 1978.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers degrees in aviation, engineering, business, sciences and arts. The university offers undergraduate Bachelor's
degrees, graduate Master's
degrees, including Master of Science
in Aeronautics, Aerospace Engineering
, Business Administration in Aviation Management, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Engineering Physics, Human Factors and Systems, Mechanical Engineering, Multidisciplinary Engineering, Safety Science, Software Engineering and PhD
degrees in Aviation (the first such program in the world) and Engineering Physics
. From 2010 Embry-Riddle Worldwide offered the MBA in Aviation Management degree jointly with the Singapore Aviation Academy
(SAA). Non-degree programs are also offered.
' first flight, when Talton Higbee Embry and John Paul Riddle
formed the Embry-Riddle Company at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio
. The company was financed by Embry, a wealthy aviation enthusiast who served as company president. Riddle was named general partner, and the two began to sell Waco Aircraft
in Cincinnati. In spring of 1926 (the date shown on the university seal), the Embry-Riddle Company opened the Embry-Riddle Flying School. On December 17, 1927, the Embry-Riddle Company established Cincinnati's first regular air mail service, from Cincinnati to Chicago
.
The school grew rapidly in 1928 and 1929, until what was now the Embry-Riddle Aviation Corporation was merged with the Aviation Corporation (AVCO) of Delaware
. AVCO phased out the Embry-Riddle Flying School in the fall of 1930. Shortly after, AVCO became American Airways (the predecessor of American Airlines
), and the Embry-Riddle Company was gone.
In 1939 Riddle contacted Embry with a view to getting back into training pilots, but Embry was not interested. Riddle, now living in Miami, Florida, found a partner in John G. McKay and his wife Isabel. Keeping the Embry-Riddle name, they re-established the Embry-Riddle School of Aviation, partnering with the University of Miami
to provide flight training under the Civilian Pilot Training Program
, increasing the number of pilots immediately preceding World War II
. The Embry-Riddle School of Aviation expanded rapidly, and soon moved to the former Fritz Hotel.
Riddle and McKay also formed the Riddle Aeronautical Institute at Carlstrom Field
, in early 1941 for the purpose of training pilots for the United States Army Air Corps
(the US Air Force did not yet exist). A separate division of Embry-Riddle provided technical training in maintenance and metal work. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Embry-Riddle and its various divisions expanded rapidly to train aviators during the war, and the Carlstrom Field facility trained pilots for the Royal Air Force
, while nearby Dorr Field prepared pilots for advanced training with the U.S. Army Air Forces.
Embry-Riddle quickly exhausted the market for flight training. In late 1943 Brazil
’s Air Minister requested Embry-Riddle establish a flight school in São Paulo
, Brazil to provide Brazilian cadets with technical instruction. By early 1944, Escola Tecnica de Aviação had been established and provided basic, aircraft, engines and instrument departments. In 1944 McKay purchased Riddle's share of Embry-Riddle as Riddle chose to remain in Brazil.
.
Embry-Riddle's move from Miami was carried out by a group of Daytona Beach civic leaders known as the Committee of 100. The school was packed into trucks and moved nearly overnight. Known as "Operation Bootstrap", the move was accomplished with the help of the Daytona Beach News-Journal
, which supplied the trucks.
The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
in 1968 and was renamed Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1970.
Hunt headed a large expansion of Embry-Riddle, including the purchase of a second campus in Prescott, Arizona
, in 1978. Embry-Riddle purchased the former campus of Prescott College
, which closed abruptly in 1974 from financial hardship. Hunt served as president until his death on January 7, 1984. Hunt was followed by Lt. General Kenneth L. Tallman
, who, in his five years as president, formed Embry-Riddle's first graduate program. Tallman also added undergraduate degrees in Engineering Physics and Electrical Engineering. Current president John P. Johnson
credits Tallman with moving ERAU from a technical school to a university.
Embry-Riddle's third president was Dr. Steven M. Sliwa, who presided over the university from 1991 until 1998. Sliwa oversaw the largest expansion in Embry-Riddle's history, according to the ERAU website developing new majors and a capital expansion in excess of US$100 million
. This included the ICI Center (fieldhouse), Lehman Engineering and Technology Center, Capt. Willie Miller Instructional Center and Student Village on the Daytona Beach campus. Sliwa was followed by Dr. George H. Ebbs, who was president until November 2005.
Ebbs expanded the university into several affiliate programs and was president during the September 11, 2001 attacks
on the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon. Following the attacks, federal investigators thought that the school might have trained at least one of the aircraft hijackers, but after a short investigation it was found that ERAU had no involvement in the flight training of the terrorists. A former student who had the same name as one of the hijackers was found to have no connections to Al-Qaeda
.
During his tenure as president, Ebbs expanded Embry-Riddle into non-traditional university projects, such as Embry-Riddle's Commercial Airline Pilot Training program (CAPT program), which was sold in 2006. Ebbs also entered the university into a five-year contract with The United States Air Force Academy
for Embry-Riddle to provide flight training for its cadets in 2002.
Embry-Riddle's fifth president (current was Dr. John P. Johnson
, previously University Provost
and Interim President. He was selected after a national search by the Board of Trustees on August 8, 2006.
college rankings specialty category of "Best Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor's or Master's," Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus has been number one every year since the category was introduced in 2001. Embry-Riddle's Prescott, Ariz., campus has been number three in that category since 2004.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is ranked tenth in (US) Regional Universities (South) in the 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges.
Dr. Richard H. Heist was provost
and chief academic officer, with direct oversight of the deans
of each college. Each campus is led by a chancellor
and is organized into colleges and departments. University-wide departments are headed by vice-presidents.
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and its various degrees are accredited by other relevant official bodies.
Embry-Riddle's largest residential campus (185 acre (0.7486691 km²)) and academic headquarters has been in Daytona Beach, Florida
since the move from Miami in 1965. Built adjacent to the Daytona Beach International Airport
, the campus has easy access for flight training. The main campus consists of an aviation complex, academic quad and residence halls surrounding the student center and Jack R. Hunt Aviator Park. Athletic facilities and the ICI Center are at the east end of campus.
Total fall 2010 enrollment at the Daytona Beach campus was 5,089; 4,496 undergraduate and 593 graduate students. Aeronautical science (flight training
) and aerospace engineering
are the two most popular degrees at the Daytona Beach campus. Daytona Beach's aerospace engineering degree program is the largest in the nation and ranks number one in the U.S. News & World Report
college rankings of aerospace engineering degree schools without a Ph.D.
program. Embry-Riddle has received this honor each year since the category was introduced in 2001. In the broader category of best undergraduate engineering programs at schools without doctorate
degrees, Embry-Riddle was ranked eleventh in the nation by the same report. Also in the category of best regional universities, Embry-Riddle was ranked tenth in the south.
Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus has one of the most extensive Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(ROTC) programs in the United States and the nation's largest Air Force ROTC program. The ROTC program frequently wins national competitions. The engineering physics
program at the Daytona Beach campus is currently the largest undergraduate engineering physics program in the country and the only one specializing in aerospace.
The Daytona Beach campus sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports. The Eagles are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
and compete in The Sun Conference. Embry-Riddle's athletics are directed by basketball head-coach Steve Ridder. On October 2, 2006, Ridder was named NAIA National Athletic Director of the Year. Ridder led the school to its only national title in any sport in 2000, in basketball.
approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from Prescott's airport, Ernest A. Love Field
. At an elevation of over 5000 feet (1,524 m), Prescott has mild seasonal weather with moderate daytime temperatures and ideal conditions for flying year-round.
Facilities at the Prescott Campus include the multi-lab Aerospace Experimentation and Fabrication Building, a wind tunnel lab, aviation safety center with accident investigation lab, library, the 48000 sq ft (4,459.3 m²) academic complex, an engineering and technology center, chapel, dining hall, student union and residence halls. Total fall 2010 student enrollment at the Prescott campus was 1,705 students, including 51 graduate students.
The Prescott campus has the only Global Security and Intelligence Studies program in the country.
The Prescott campus also features a space-oriented Physics Department that involves undergraduate students in research projects funded by NSF and NASA.
Embry-Riddle's two Air Force ROTC detachments form the largest university-based Air Force commissioning source in the nation. Embry-Riddle's AFROTC detachments also produce more commissioned officers, more pilots and other rated officers for the Air Force than any other institution in the nation except the Air Force Academy. Army ROTC also operates a large detachment on the Prescott Campus.
The Prescott campus is home to the Golden Eagles Flight Team, which competes in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association
. Prescott's Golden Eagles Flight Team has won the regional championship each year for the past 23 years and are the NIFA National Champions for the years 1993, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2008.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
in the US specializing in aviation and aerospace engineering. It teaches the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace. Called "The Harvard of the Sky" by Time Magazine in 1979, Embry-Riddle has a history dating back to the early days of aviation. Students enroll in one of two residential campuses located in Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
, and Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
, or in Embry-Riddle Worldwide
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide
Embry-Riddle Worldwide is a non-residential campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Embry-Riddle Worldwide consists of over 130 distance learning centers , Worldwide Online , and the Center for Professional Education Embry-Riddle Worldwide is a non-residential campus of Embry-Riddle...
, composed of over 170 campuses around the world including online learning. Embry-Riddle Worldwide serves working civilians and serving military personnel. According to AMTSociety's Aircraft Maintenance Technology Embry-Riddle has one of the largest and most well-regarded Aerospace Engineering programs in the USA.
Embry-Riddle began in 1925 as the Embry-Riddle Company, an aircraft dealer and airmail provider, founded by Talton Higbee Embry and John Paul Riddle
John Paul Riddle
John Paul Riddle was a pilot and an aviation enthusiast, most well known for co-founding what later became Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University .- Personal life :...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The company was incorporated in 1930 into what is now American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
. In Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, during the buildup to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Riddle partnered with John G. McKay and his wife Isabel to found the Embry-Riddle School of Aviation, and later, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute, which moved to Daytona Beach, Florida in 1965 and was renamed Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1970. The Prescott, Arizona, campus opened in 1978.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers degrees in aviation, engineering, business, sciences and arts. The university offers undergraduate Bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
degrees, graduate Master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degrees, including Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Aeronautics, Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
, Business Administration in Aviation Management, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Engineering Physics, Human Factors and Systems, Mechanical Engineering, Multidisciplinary Engineering, Safety Science, Software Engineering and PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degrees in Aviation (the first such program in the world) and Engineering Physics
Engineering physics
Engineering physics is the study of the combined disciplines of physics, engineering and mathematics in order to develop an understanding of the interrelationships of these three disciplines. Fundamental physics is combined with problem solving and engineering skills, which then has broad...
. From 2010 Embry-Riddle Worldwide offered the MBA in Aviation Management degree jointly with the Singapore Aviation Academy
Singapore Aviation Academy
The Singapore Aviation Academy is based in Singapore and is the primary training facility of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.SAA provides training to civil aviation personnel in Singapore as well as overseas...
(SAA). Non-degree programs are also offered.
Early days
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University began on December 17, 1925, exactly 22 years after the Wright BrothersWright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
' first flight, when Talton Higbee Embry and John Paul Riddle
John Paul Riddle
John Paul Riddle was a pilot and an aviation enthusiast, most well known for co-founding what later became Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University .- Personal life :...
formed the Embry-Riddle Company at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The company was financed by Embry, a wealthy aviation enthusiast who served as company president. Riddle was named general partner, and the two began to sell Waco Aircraft
Waco Aircraft Company
The Waco Aircraft Company was an aircraft manufacturer located in Troy, Ohio, USA. Between 1919 and 1947, the company produced a wide range of civilian biplanes....
in Cincinnati. In spring of 1926 (the date shown on the university seal), the Embry-Riddle Company opened the Embry-Riddle Flying School. On December 17, 1927, the Embry-Riddle Company established Cincinnati's first regular air mail service, from Cincinnati to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
The school grew rapidly in 1928 and 1929, until what was now the Embry-Riddle Aviation Corporation was merged with the Aviation Corporation (AVCO) of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. AVCO phased out the Embry-Riddle Flying School in the fall of 1930. Shortly after, AVCO became American Airways (the predecessor of American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
), and the Embry-Riddle Company was gone.
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
to provide flight training under the Civilian Pilot Training Program
Civilian Pilot Training Program
The Civilian Pilot Training Program was a flight training program sponsored by the United States government with the stated purpose of increasing the number of civilian pilots, though having a clear impact on military preparedness....
, increasing the number of pilots immediately preceding World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Embry-Riddle School of Aviation expanded rapidly, and soon moved to the former Fritz Hotel.
Riddle and McKay also formed the Riddle Aeronautical Institute at Carlstrom Field
Arcadia, Florida
Arcadia is a city in DeSoto County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,604 as of the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city grew to 7,151. It is the county seat of DeSoto County; it is also DeSoto County's only incorporated community. On October 27, 2009,...
, in early 1941 for the purpose of training pilots for the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
(the US Air Force did not yet exist). A separate division of Embry-Riddle provided technical training in maintenance and metal work. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Embry-Riddle and its various divisions expanded rapidly to train aviators during the war, and the Carlstrom Field facility trained pilots for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, while nearby Dorr Field prepared pilots for advanced training with the U.S. Army Air Forces.
Embry-Riddle quickly exhausted the market for flight training. In late 1943 Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
’s Air Minister requested Embry-Riddle establish a flight school in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil to provide Brazilian cadets with technical instruction. By early 1944, Escola Tecnica de Aviação had been established and provided basic, aircraft, engines and instrument departments. In 1944 McKay purchased Riddle's share of Embry-Riddle as Riddle chose to remain in Brazil.
Development into a university
Following the end of World War II, the McKays continued the business of training pilots. After John McKay's death in 1951, his wife Isabel McKay led the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute. The school endured financial hardship, but continued to operate in Miami. Isabel McKay suffered a stroke in 1961, and in 1963 sold the school. That same year Jack R. Hunt was named the first president of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute. ERAI continued the training of pilots and mechanics in Miami until April 1965, when Hunt moved the campus to its current home in Daytona Beach, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Embry-Riddle's move from Miami was carried out by a group of Daytona Beach civic leaders known as the Committee of 100. The school was packed into trucks and moved nearly overnight. Known as "Operation Bootstrap", the move was accomplished with the help of the Daytona Beach News-Journal
Daytona Beach News-Journal
The Daytona Beach News-Journal is a Florida daily newspaper serving Volusia and Flagler counties.It grew from the Halifax Journal which was started in 1883. The Davidson family purchased the newspaper in 1928 and retained control until bankruptcy in 2009. In 1986, The Morning Journal and Evening...
, which supplied the trucks.
The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
in 1968 and was renamed Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1970.
Hunt headed a large expansion of Embry-Riddle, including the purchase of a second campus in Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
, in 1978. Embry-Riddle purchased the former campus of Prescott College
Prescott College
Prescott College is a private liberal arts college in Prescott, Arizona, founded in 1966. It is a non-profit organization which has an undergraduate body of roughly 800 students, and an average student to faculty ratio of 7:1 in on-campus classrooms...
, which closed abruptly in 1974 from financial hardship. Hunt served as president until his death on January 7, 1984. Hunt was followed by Lt. General Kenneth L. Tallman
Kenneth L. Tallman
Lieutenant General Kenneth L. Tallman was the eighth Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy....
, who, in his five years as president, formed Embry-Riddle's first graduate program. Tallman also added undergraduate degrees in Engineering Physics and Electrical Engineering. Current president John P. Johnson
John P. Johnson
Dr. John P. Johnson is the fifth president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He formerly served as interim president since 2005 and served as provost and Chief Academic Officer since 2003.Receiving his B.A. and M.S...
credits Tallman with moving ERAU from a technical school to a university.
Embry-Riddle's third president was Dr. Steven M. Sliwa, who presided over the university from 1991 until 1998. Sliwa oversaw the largest expansion in Embry-Riddle's history, according to the ERAU website developing new majors and a capital expansion in excess of US$100 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
. This included the ICI Center (fieldhouse), Lehman Engineering and Technology Center, Capt. Willie Miller Instructional Center and Student Village on the Daytona Beach campus. Sliwa was followed by Dr. George H. Ebbs, who was president until November 2005.
Ebbs expanded the university into several affiliate programs and was president during the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
on the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon. Following the attacks, federal investigators thought that the school might have trained at least one of the aircraft hijackers, but after a short investigation it was found that ERAU had no involvement in the flight training of the terrorists. A former student who had the same name as one of the hijackers was found to have no connections to Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
.
During his tenure as president, Ebbs expanded Embry-Riddle into non-traditional university projects, such as Embry-Riddle's Commercial Airline Pilot Training program (CAPT program), which was sold in 2006. Ebbs also entered the university into a five-year contract with The United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
for Embry-Riddle to provide flight training for its cadets in 2002.
Embry-Riddle's fifth president (current was Dr. John P. Johnson
John P. Johnson
Dr. John P. Johnson is the fifth president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He formerly served as interim president since 2005 and served as provost and Chief Academic Officer since 2003.Receiving his B.A. and M.S...
, previously University Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
and Interim President. He was selected after a national search by the Board of Trustees on August 8, 2006.
Ranking
In the U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
college rankings specialty category of "Best Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor's or Master's," Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus has been number one every year since the category was introduced in 2001. Embry-Riddle's Prescott, Ariz., campus has been number three in that category since 2004.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is ranked tenth in (US) Regional Universities (South) in the 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges.
Organization and accreditation
Embry-Riddle is organized into two residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, and a worldwide campus. Embry-Riddle Worldwide consists of over 130 distance-learning centers (many at community colleges and military bases), Worldwide Online (which offers degrees through Internet classes), and the Center for Professional Education (which offers continuing education credits and non-degree programs).Dr. Richard H. Heist was provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
and chief academic officer, with direct oversight of the deans
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of each college. Each campus is led by a chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
and is organized into colleges and departments. University-wide departments are headed by vice-presidents.
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and its various degrees are accredited by other relevant official bodies.
Daytona Beach, Florida, campus
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
since the move from Miami in 1965. Built adjacent to the Daytona Beach International Airport
Daytona Beach International Airport
Daytona Beach International Airport is a public county-owned airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Daytona Beach, adjacent to the Daytona International Speedway, in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The airport has 3 runways, a six-gate domestic terminal,...
, the campus has easy access for flight training. The main campus consists of an aviation complex, academic quad and residence halls surrounding the student center and Jack R. Hunt Aviator Park. Athletic facilities and the ICI Center are at the east end of campus.
Total fall 2010 enrollment at the Daytona Beach campus was 5,089; 4,496 undergraduate and 593 graduate students. Aeronautical science (flight training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
) and aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
are the two most popular degrees at the Daytona Beach campus. Daytona Beach's aerospace engineering degree program is the largest in the nation and ranks number one in the U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
college rankings of aerospace engineering degree schools without a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
program. Embry-Riddle has received this honor each year since the category was introduced in 2001. In the broader category of best undergraduate engineering programs at schools without doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
degrees, Embry-Riddle was ranked eleventh in the nation by the same report. Also in the category of best regional universities, Embry-Riddle was ranked tenth in the south.
Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus has one of the most extensive Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
(ROTC) programs in the United States and the nation's largest Air Force ROTC program. The ROTC program frequently wins national competitions. The engineering physics
Engineering physics
Engineering physics is the study of the combined disciplines of physics, engineering and mathematics in order to develop an understanding of the interrelationships of these three disciplines. Fundamental physics is combined with problem solving and engineering skills, which then has broad...
program at the Daytona Beach campus is currently the largest undergraduate engineering physics program in the country and the only one specializing in aerospace.
The Daytona Beach campus sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports. The Eagles are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
and compete in The Sun Conference. Embry-Riddle's athletics are directed by basketball head-coach Steve Ridder. On October 2, 2006, Ridder was named NAIA National Athletic Director of the Year. Ridder led the school to its only national title in any sport in 2000, in basketball.
Prescott, Arizona, campus
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Campus opened in 1978. The 539 acres (2.2 km²) campus is located among Arizona's Bradshaw MountainsBradshaw Mountains
The Bradshaw Mountains are a mountain range in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona, USA, named for brothers Isaac and William Bradshaw after their death, having been formerly known in English as the Silver Mountain Range.-History:...
approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from Prescott's airport, Ernest A. Love Field
Ernest A. Love Field
Prescott Municipal Airport, Ernest A. Love Field is a city-owned public-use airport located seven nautical miles north of the central business district of the City of Prescott, in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States...
. At an elevation of over 5000 feet (1,524 m), Prescott has mild seasonal weather with moderate daytime temperatures and ideal conditions for flying year-round.
Facilities at the Prescott Campus include the multi-lab Aerospace Experimentation and Fabrication Building, a wind tunnel lab, aviation safety center with accident investigation lab, library, the 48000 sq ft (4,459.3 m²) academic complex, an engineering and technology center, chapel, dining hall, student union and residence halls. Total fall 2010 student enrollment at the Prescott campus was 1,705 students, including 51 graduate students.
The Prescott campus has the only Global Security and Intelligence Studies program in the country.
The Prescott campus also features a space-oriented Physics Department that involves undergraduate students in research projects funded by NSF and NASA.
Embry-Riddle's two Air Force ROTC detachments form the largest university-based Air Force commissioning source in the nation. Embry-Riddle's AFROTC detachments also produce more commissioned officers, more pilots and other rated officers for the Air Force than any other institution in the nation except the Air Force Academy. Army ROTC also operates a large detachment on the Prescott Campus.
The Prescott campus is home to the Golden Eagles Flight Team, which competes in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association
National Intercollegiate Flying Association
The National Intercollegiate Flying Association is a professional organization that provides a forum of competition and learning for aviation students from colleges all around the United States....
. Prescott's Golden Eagles Flight Team has won the regional championship each year for the past 23 years and are the NIFA National Champions for the years 1993, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2008.