Joins Duke, Emory, John Hopkins In Partnerships

By invitation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University recently joined Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), a consortium that leverages the strength of 99 major Ph.D.-granting research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry.

ORAU members, including such research powerhouses as Duke University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, and Rice University, award more than 37 percent of the nation’s Ph.D.s in science and engineering and make up 37 of the top 100 research and development universities.

Embry-Riddle offers two doctorates, one in aviation and one in engineering physics, and is progressing toward launching a third, in aerospace engineering. Embry-Riddle’s engineering physics program is one of the largest in the nation. The undergraduate aerospace engineering program is the largest in the nation and has been ranked the best in the nation for 12 straight years by U.S. News & World Report.

Andy Page, ORAU president and CEO, commented, “We are excited to add Embry-Riddle to our consortium and look forward to creating additional opportunities for its students and faculty members. Embry-Riddle’s expertise in aviation and aerospace will also create new opportunities for collaborative research within the consortium.”

One of the keys to Embry-Riddle’s success over the course of its 86-year history has been its proactive role in linking the real-world needs of the aviation and aerospace industry with the research capabilities of the university’s high-tech facilities and its faculty and students, who work diligently to find innovative and efficient ways to move the industry forward.

“Over the past three years, we have established an average of 10 new corporate partnerships each year,” said Dr. Christina Frederick-Recascino, Embry-Riddle senior executive vice president of academics and research and the university’s ORAU representative. “Each partnership is unique, ranging from student-based team projects to contracts for specific research projects. A common denominator is that all bring value to the university and the corporate partner. This year, we have new relationships with Dassault/Falconjet, Gulfstream Corp., and Boeing Corp.”

Other entities currently sponsoring Embry-Riddle research projects include the FAA, General Motors, Harris Corp., ITT Corp., Lockheed Martin, NASA, NOAA, Sensis Corp., and the U.S. Dept. of Energy. In the 2009-2010 fiscal year, 139 Embry-Riddle faculty members were engaged in 180 sponsored projects, with the three research areas of NextGen, Green Engineering, and Unmanned and Autonomous Systems considered the most significant.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities has 99 member institutions in the United States, Puerto Rico, and England. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master’s, and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering.

FMI: www.embryriddle.edu ; www.orau.org