Tuesday September 4, 2012
Volume CXXXV Issue 1
Welcome Back from Dr. Johnson Dr. John Johnson
University President For those of you entering your first year at Embry-Riddle I want to congratulate you on selecting the world’s best aviation and aerospace university. Our beginning was at a time when aviation was neonatal and we literally grew up with the American aerospace industry. In fact, we are the oldest and largest aeronautical university in the world and have a long history of preparing professionals to meet the needs of aerospace companies. We teach nearly every aspect of aviation, aerospace, engineering, business and related fields of study and are rapidly becoming the place where industry turns for research to find solutions to real world problems. For those who are returning students, you already know much about our great university. You are aware of the changes that are occurring and understand that Embry-Riddle is a dynamic institution, constantly evolving to meet the needs of our students and our industry. You have seen many of the new buildings that have gone up over the past few years. We are very excited about the imminent construction of the College of Arts and Sciences Building and the plans for the new Student Center that call for construction to begin in the next year. I know that the new degree programs that have been developed have also been well-received by our students. The new degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems and the research focusing on the development of autonomous systems are good examples. We are also very proud of the growth in the university’s first Ph.D. Degree
Programs. In addition to doctoral programs in Aviation, and Engineering Physics, plans are well underway for new Ph.D. offerings in Aerospace Engineering and Human Factors Psychology. As president of Embry-Riddle, I am very pleased with the extent of involvement of our students in the life of our university. Our students are frequently involved in research projects with mentoring faculty members. They are engaged in public service that helps to make our community a better place to live and work. Some are involved in helping people in other countries that may be in need of assistance. Faculty members and students who are helping to provide potable water to children in Haiti are a good example. This is a wonderful project. I refer to it as “high tech-high touch”. I have no doubt that this effort has saved countless lives. Some of the most successful people I know are those that “get involved”. I want to encourage you to focus your attention externally. Become a good university citizen. Participate in a club or project of interest. I can assure you that it will pay dividends. I know that you want to make good grades. I am for it. However, an important part of this process should be your focus on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in your chosen discipline. About 1000 students each year participate in internships as appropriate to their field. Many receive job offers as a result. I encourage you to consider this addition to your plan of study. Please know that we are here for you. We wish you every success in the coming year.
PHOTO COURTESY ERAU ADMINISTRATION
PRESIDENT JOHNSON’S ACADEMIC CAREER spans 35 years and has also served as a provost, chief academic officer, college dean, and department chair before serving as the University President. His other schools include Texas A&M university-Texarkana, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Northern Kentucky University. Growing up the son of a career Army Office, Johnson lived abroad extensively. Outside of work, Johnson enjoys playing golf, boating, traveling, and flying.
The Avion is excited for the year ahead
RICHARD WEAKLEY/AVION
THIS SEMESTER’S PRODUCTION TEAM has a lot of great ideas for the semester and will be implementing them as the weeks go by. For this week, get excited about our new airplane of the week showdown! You can head to our Facebook page to vote on which you like the best! Peter Tan
Editor-in-Chief It is a brand new year, and the Avion has spent many hours over the summer preparing for this moment. One of the biggest changes was to the Avion office, redesigning it to facilitate a more professional and
productive workspace. Computer upgrades are also planned to keep the Avion working at peak efficiency so that we can serve the student body better. The news department is also shifting its focus towards reporting about major events on campus before they happen and
moving away from reporting old news. We also want to run more feature stories like enrollment numbers, the effects of caffeine and other similar stories. If you have an idea you think the student body would like to read about, we would love to hear from you! What this also means for you as the reader is that if you are involved in any club or campus organization, we would greatly appreciate you submitting articles about upcoming events. One of our exciting new projects is the Airplane of the Week contest. The Avion will be comparing two different aircraft from like categories, and you the reader will get a chance to vote for your favorite on our Facebook! The Avion is also increasing its Facebook presence, and we aim to have photographs of various campus events online as soon as possible after the events. We will also be glad to take photos of you at these events, and you can tag yourselves accordingly once they make it online. Alongside Facebook, the Avion website is being upgraded and will serve as a source for campus news in the event you are unable to get your hands on a physical copy of the newspaper. The executive board of the Avion wants
to create a paper that the school can be proud of and we want you to be part of this movement. The Avion would like to correct the misperception that most students have about joining the newspaper. We do not require any experience at all, but we ask that you have a willingness to learn. Whether you want to be a reporter, photographer, advertising salesperson, graphic designer, or layout editor, the Avion will supply you with all the required skills to succeed in your position. Outstanding members will also be afforded the opportunity to travel across the country to attend the semesterly Associated College Press Conference. The Avion, with the assistance of the SGA, will cover all travel, food and lodging costs, so this is a golden opportunity to learn about something different. The Avion meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Endeavor Conference Room, which is on the second floor of the Student Center. The production of the paper happens every Sunday at 1p.m. in the Avion office, Student Center 110. If you have any questions whatsover, please stop by. So from all of us here at the Avion, have a great and awesome semester ahead!