FAA Selects Embry-Riddle for 1999 Excellence in Aviation Award

Washington, D.C., Aug. 18, 1999 -- Federal Aviation Administrator Jane F. Garvey today announced the selection of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as the winner of this year's Excellence in Aviation Award for its continued contributions in aviation research and education.

The Excellence in Aviation designation is a competitive, non-monetary award presented annually to individuals or institutions following an evaluation of documentation which clearly shows how their past research benefits the aviation community today.

"For more than seven decades, Embry-Riddle has supported our mission and the nation's aviation goals through its applied aviation research activities and ongoing academic programs," said Administrator Garvey. "Working with both government and industry, the university has made valuable contributions in areas such as air traffic management, aviation human factors, pilot education and training, aircraft maintenance, and airframe design and technology."

The world's only fully-accredited aviation-oriented university, Embry-Riddle enrolls 22,000 full-time and part-time students from 50 states and more than 100 countries on its campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., at more than 100 teaching sites in the United States and Europe, and through distance learning technology, such as the Internet. The university offers more than 30 degree programs through the master's level in aeronautical science, aviation maintenance, business, computer science, engineering and human factors. Its academic programs in aeronautical science, aerospace engineering, and engineering physics are the largest in the United States. The facility offers Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) -approved certification programs in flight (private, commercial, instrument, multi-engine, flight instructor, and instrument flight instructor ratings), flight dispatch and maintenance technology (airframe and powerplant).

"This prestigious award is a tribute to the research commitment of our faculty and students," said Embry-Riddle President George H. Ebbs. "Our objective has always been to set the agenda for the aviation and aerospace community and lead in the training and development of its professionals. This recognition by the FAA underscores our dedication to this objective."

The breadth of this research activity is made possible through multiple affiliations and partnerships with government, industry, and academic organizations. These include membership in the FAA's Center of Excellence for Airworthiness Assurance its National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations, and the National Safe Skies Alliance, as well as participation on numerous teams of industry contractors.