Lift - 2012 Annual Report on Philanthropy - (Page 13)

Left, students and graduate students prepare the Pelican UAS for a test ﬂight, as assistant professor Patrick Currier and Lindsay Andrean of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife look on. Below, members of Team Blackbird and their UAS. Student projects take o with Rockwell Collins BY K I M B E R LY V E N E MA ( ’ 11, D B) mbry-Riddle engineering students and their design projects are getting a big lift, thanks to $30,000 in contributions this past year from Rockwell Collins, a global provider of smart communications and aviation electronics solutions. Alumnus and Rockwell Collins representative Diarmuid Strasser (‘91, DB) says he is proud that the company has chosen to continually support his alma mater. “Our charitable grants program for universities allows us to attract students toward the science, technology and engineering elds and cultivate their technical skills,” says Strasser, who also serves as a member of the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Industry Advisory Board for electrical and mechanical engineering. “Hopefully this will encourage students to see Rockwell Collins as a potential employer and give them the experience they need to get their hands in the industry.” Rockwell Collins is a consistent supporter of Embry-Riddle, contributing more than $250,000 to the university since 1989. A large part of the company’s latest contribution is helping two groups of student engineers gain critical experience in designing and using unmanned aircraft. One of these groups, Team Blackbird, recently designed an autonomous aircraft capable of identifying ground-based targets and performing other tasks. The student team will use Rockwell Collins’ contribution to cover the costs of travel and equipment to support their competition in national UAS contests. “With Rockwell’s funding, our team is better capable of sustaining its operations and ability to compete,” says Richard Stansbury, associate professor of engineering and faculty adviser for Team Blackbird. “These types of projects allow students to gain handson experience that include signi cant aspects of research. Practical engineering experience also bene ts students in both professional development, as well as job placement.” The other student group is partnering with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a low-cost, portable and waterproof UAS, called the “Pelican,” to monitor seabird populations and salmon predation off the coast of Oregon. The team plans to test Pelican during next year’s cormorant nesting season at Haystack Rock, a national wildlife refuge in Oregon. Contributions from companies like Rockwell Collins dramatically enhance student projects like these, says Tim Wilson, professor and department chair of electrical, computer, software and systems engineering. “Our student projects are very hands on and sometimes pricey. External support for student projects provides much needed resources. The donations have been incredibly positive by opening possibilities for the teams to move forward without depending on department money. We are very grateful to Rockwell Collins for this support,” he says. Supporting Students Rockwell Collins’ gift provides: I Program funds for student projects: Team Blackbird and Pelican UAS I Two $2,500 scholarships I Professional development for student members of Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers G I V I N GTO.E R A U.E D U P H I L A NTH R O PY R E P O RT 13 http://www.givingto.erau.edu

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lift - 2012 Annual Report on Philanthropy

Lift - 2012 Annual Report on Philanthropy
Contents
Letter From the President
Letter From the Associate Vice President
Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Report
Throttling up
Lifetime and Legacy Donors
Toward an entrepreneurial university
Corporations and foundations
Student projects take off with Rockwell Collins
Daytona Beach alumni
Part of the Embry-Riddle fabric
Embry-Riddle’s first cadet gives back
Students help create a culture of philanthropy
Prescott alumni
Worldwide alumni
Military support
Friends
Board members, faculty and staff
Perpetuating dreams
Scholarship Donors
In Memoriam Donors
Endowed Funds

Lift - 2012 Annual Report on Philanthropy