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.