Awards Total More Than $30,000

With a shared vision to foster future female aviators, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University continued a long tradition of participating in the Women in Aviation, International (WAI) annual conference held earlier this month in Dallas.

With a record-breaking 4,572 attendees from 16 countries, the March 5-7 conference theme of “Connect. Engage. Inspire.” was a very familiar mantra for Embry-Riddle students, staff, faculty and graduates in attendance. Embry-Riddle students and faculty have participated as exhibitors, attendees and recipients of awards in all 26 of WAI’s annual conferences.

Representatives from the university’s Women Ambassadors as well as organizers of the university’s Bring Your Daughter Day were in attendance. Networking and support of women aviators came in the forms of gatherings, advice and mentor panels and the presentation of scholarships to future pilots.

Six students representing both residential campuses were awarded scholarships totaling $33,000 (listed in descending order of amount):

• Elizabeth Worsham (Daytona Beach) – American Airlines and American Eagle Engineer Scholarship ($7,000) and Boeing Company Career Enhancement Scholarship ($2,500)
• Nathalie Quintero (Daytona Beach) – Delta Air Lines Engineering Scholarship ($7,000)
• Jenny Chabrian (Daytona Beach) –  Airbus Leadership Grant ($5,000) and DTC Travel Award Scholarship ($500)
• Shelby King (Prescott) – Republic Airways’ "Nothing But Blue Skies" Aviator Scholarship ($5,000)
• Hannah Burright (Prescott) – WAI Washington Chapter-Janet Clark Memorial Scholarship ($1,500), WAI Achievement Award ($1,000) and Chevron Travel Award Scholarship ($1,000)
• Anna Romer (Daytona Beach) – Boeing Company Career Enhancement Scholarship ($2,500)

The university hosts WAI chapters as well as Women in Aviation Day and Girls Rock It Days at its residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz. Embry-Riddle’s College of Engineering at the Daytona Beach Campus recently received a $10,000 award from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and Microsoft Research to provide research opportunities, career, internship and co-op positions, and professional conferences and competitions across engineering programs for female students. And the university’s Women Ambassadors program connects current female students with other students and alumni for mentoring and guidance.

With female enrollment numbers across all campuses increasing, the nonprofit university continues to provide resources and programs to support women interested in careers in aviation, aerospace, engineering, security, business and more.

“We are extremely proud of the increase in female enrollment numbers we’re seeing not only as the industry demands it, but as the future of aviation evolves,” said Embry-Riddle’s Senior Vice President for External Relations Bill Hampton. “To keep up with that growth, it is imperative that we as a university continuously look at relationships in the industry and with groups like Women in Aviation, International to strengthen those bonds, to tap into that passion and be at the forefront of innovative, effective ways to provide educational and real-life opportunities for all students.”

At the conference, Embry-Riddle also participated in Girls in Aviation Day. Centered around the theme of “Find Your Passion,” the event featured a panel of women professionals in diverse fields within aviation including the FAA, F-18 and helo pilots in the armed forces, a corporate aviation pilot, a Boeing business analyst, aviation educators, an airport infrastructure vice president, an electrical engineer (avionics) and others who talked with and answered questions from aviation-inspired girls ages 12-17.

But it wasn’t just about the future of aviation – there were special university events at the conference for those already succeeding in it. More than 230 Embry-Riddle graduates, current students and guests attended the university’s alumni gathering March 6 in Dallas. Highlights included the announcement of the scholarship winners, a welcome by Prescott Campus Chancellor Dr. Frank Ayers and special acknowledgment of mother and daughter graduates – Gigi Lopez and Diana Cobas – who walked together during the 2014 commencement, and Daytona Beach graduate Susan Horstman, the first female pilot hired by Pan Am. For photos of the event, click here. For more information on upcoming Embry-Riddle Alumni Relations events, go to alumni.erau.edu.

“The relationship between Embry-Riddle and WAI began with our first conference held in Prescott (Arizona) in 1990 when I was the Dean on the Prescott Campus,” said WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian. “It has grown over the years to reflect the shared commitment to mentoring, support and networking for not just up-and-coming female pilots at Embry-Riddle, but all women in aviation. WAI truly feels it is a part of the Embry-Riddle family.”

FMI: www.wai.org, www.erau.edu