Tribute to Embry-Riddle University

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, Time Magazine once referred to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as The Harvard of the Sky, a designation truly honoring both institutions. I say this because unsurpassed standards, values and public contributions constantly are reflected in achievements by those representing both schools.

On this occasion, however, my remarks are about Embry-Riddle, for it absolutely is one of our Nation's most intriguing centers of higher learning.

Recently, the New York Times featured the selection of Embry-Riddle for English and operational proficiency training of China's air traffic controllers.

ValuJet's crash in the Florida Everglades last May prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to name ERU alumnus, Greg Feith, as investigator-in-charge. The university's aviation safety role, through an extensive curriculum, real-situation training laboratories, research and issue guidance is unparalleled. Air Force Capt. Scott O'Grady's amazing survival in Bosnia had as a postscript:ERU graduate. So it is with White House Fellow, David A. Moore.

Although ERU graduates hold key positions throughout business and commerce, we find this especially prevalent among airlines and the aerospace and aircraft industry. Some are astronauts. NASA's Lt. Comdr. Susan Leigh Still, USN, who received her bachelor of science degree, is scheduled for a mission in space this spring.

The school is a major contributor of pilots to military and civilian aviation for two reasons. One is the level of academics in engineering, aerospace science, aviation and related disciplines. The other is due to ERU's own air fleet, its own flight instruction, its own meteorology training, and its own aircraft and engine student maintenance programs. Under the critical eyes of certified instructors, undergraduates perform all engine and airframe maintenance. I understand there never has been a safety incident attributable to their work.

By invitation of the U.S. Army in Europe, Embry-Riddle now offers college classes to our servicemen deployed north of Croatia in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. This newest service adds to the university's extensive network of more than 100 education centers throughout the United States and Europe.

A late December item from the Kiplinger Washington Letter refers to global companies relying on associates who work in team settings or situations. Embry-Riddle student assignments routinely involve team involvement. They take it a step further -- through distance learning.

For a particular assignment we might find one student in Daytona Beach serving with another located at the university's Prescott, AZ, campus, while a third comes from an extended campus overseas. A sophisticated networking system allows students to connect electronically with other institutions and class members around the world. In addition, identical courses are taught concurrently by a single instructor from either the Daytona or Prescott campus as students from both locations interact.

ERU is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs in our Nation. It has the largest engineering-physics program in America. Undergraduates last year won the national design competition for general aviation, an intensely challenging venture sponsored by NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Quite often we hear the term, "student-athlete." At Embry-Riddle that designation has a real, rather than shallow, meaning. No better example is found than with this season's basketball team. Under the guidance of athletic director and coach Steve Ridder, a Kentucky native, not only does the team consistently win on the court, it also wins in the classroom.

For example, 11 of the squad's 17 members have a 3-point or better GPA. Of the five seniors this year, one has a 3.6 and another a 3.4 in aerospace engineering, one a 3.4 in engineering physics, one a 3.2 in aviation business, while the school's all-time leading scorer also carries a 3.2 in aviation business.

ERU President Steve Sliwa didn't arrive at the Daytona Beach, FL, campus via a traditional academic path. He brought an eclectic background to the university: aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, NASA division level manager, founder of a software firm and astute business administrator.

Those of us in Government should be particularly impressed with his most recent capital construction program, a $100 million, eight-project endeavor, on schedule and under budget.

Consider Dr. Sliwa's interests and experiences in computer and software technology, which have propelled Embry-Riddle onto the very apex of this science. Almost every facet of our life now depends on software. Yet, software is immature compared to other engineering disciplines. Official mandates for technological reliability and consumer protection simply do not exist.

Think about the countless applications of software: worldwide financial transfers, systems to fly airplanes, to operate medical equipment, to help vehicles function, and for a myriad of other daily tasks. What happens when such technology fails? The question is receiving increased attention at two universities. A consortium between Embry-Riddle and Carnegie Mellon has been established to address the issue of standards and methodologies to prevent future disasters due to unreliable or flawed software. The Department of Defense is keenly interested in their efforts.

ERU began in 1925 when a naive eastern Kentuckian, John Paul Riddle of Pikeville, and entrepreneur T. Higbee Embry of Cincinnati, OH, opened a school of aviation at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, OH. Now moving into its eighth decade, the school gives new meaning to "cutting edge" education.

From hands-on investigation of aircraft accidents -- thanks to a unique outdoor laboratory featuring crashed planes -- to design of computer systems and from leadership in national issues to redesign of roof flaps for NASCAR racing vehicles, ERU is indeed out in front.

Achievements as I have described don't happen without reasons. A most distinguished and forward-thinking faculty, visionary leadership and rare discipline combined with resourcefulness have propelled Embry-Riddle into what I believe is "tomorrow's institution of higher education today."

How fortunate for ERU students. How fortunate for America.