Kansas State Aviation Department Head Named As Association's
New President
R. Kurt Barnhart of Kansas State University at Salina (K-State),
recently assumed the University Aviation Association's (UAA) top
elected position as president for 2010-11. As one of his first
official duties, President Barnhart announced the election of Bruce
Chase to a one-year term as president elect. Members elected to
three-year terms on the Board of Trustees include: Joseph Suarez
and Matt Wise as Educator trustees, and Jay Evans as a Corporate
trustee.
President Kurt Barnhart is professor and head of the Aviation
Department at K-State, and serves as executive director of the
Applied Aviation Research Center. He holds an A.S. in Aviation
Maintenance Technology from Vincennes University, a B.S. in
aviation administration from Purdue University, an MBAA from
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Ph.D. in educational
administration from Indiana State University. Dr. Barnhart's
research agenda is focused in aviation psychology and human
factors.
President Elect Bruce Chase serves as assistant professor,
assistant chief instructor, and interim safety manager at
LeTourneau University, where he has taught flight for 18 years. In
these roles he participates on the flight curriculum team and was
instrumental in transitioning the flight training to FITS. He holds
FAA Gold Seal MEI, CFI, and CFII as well as Advanced and Instrument
Ground Instructor certificates. Chase also serves the local
aviation community as a FAA Safety Team volunteer. He earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Technology from LeTourneau
University and a Master's of Aeronautical Science degree from
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Trustee Joseph Suarez is professor of Aviation, assistant chief
flight instructor, and Chief Ground Instructor at the University of
Dubuque. He has more than 14 years of teaching marketing, business
and aviation courses at the college and university level, in
addition to more than 15 years of diverse business experience in
aviation management, environmental engineering and marketing.
Suarez holds multiple degrees, including a Bachelor of Applied
Science (Honors), Queens University; a Master of Engineering
Environmental/Occupational Health and Safety, University of
Toronto; and a Master of Business Administration, International
Business and Marketing, York University.
Trustee Matt Wise is the director and chief flight instructor of
the Tulsa Community Aviation Center, where he was formerly a
student and flight instructor. He flew for various corporate flight
departments for several years in Tulsa. Typed in equipment included
the B-757, B-767, LR-Jet, LR-45, and CL-30. In 1997, Wise was hired
by Transworld Airlines. He engineered on a B-727 and flew the
MD-80, as well as international flights in the B-767. In 2001,
American Airlines acquired TWA. Upon being furloughed in 2003, Wise
taught at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and flew corporate
aviation, accepting a position in 2005 with Tulsa Community
College. Wise is scheduled to obtain his Ph.D. in education at OSU
in the spring of 2011. He is a Master CFI, who enjoys teaching
flight training and developing training curriculum.
Trustee Jay Evans is the director of operations at the National
Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the administrative
director of the NBAA Certified Aviation Manager Program. He has
also been the initial liaison with the NBAA Professional
Development Program (PDP) since its inception in 1998. Other
programs Evans deals with include training, medical certification,
human factors and NBAA Committees including the Corporate Aviation
Management Committee and the Flight Attendant Committee. He has
worked at NBAA for more than 15 years after retiring from a career
in the U.S. Air Force as a reconnaissance and tanker pilot. He has
a B.S. from East Carolina University and a Master's in Public
Administration from Auburn University Montgomery. He has flown more
than 5,000 total hours and is an Airline Transport Pilot and CFI
(single engine land) with a 707/720 type rating.
These newly elected officers and trustees join a 14-member
governing board in charting the strategic direction of the
Association.