Embry-Riddle Celebrates 40 Graduates of the Aviation Management Program in Brazil

Embry-Riddle officials joined Brazilian aviation leaders for an April 1 graduation ceremony celebrating 40 students completing the Aviation Management Program from cohorts of 2020 and 2021.

“Out of the blue, we all woke up in a sea of uncertainty as Covid hit our industry, risking our jobs and careers,” said graduate Beatriz Bonafer Ponzoni, who was one of the class speakers. “Thankfully, we are all at what appears to be the other end of the tunnel, showing that our industry will arise stronger, more efficient and more conscious about its vital necessity in the globalized world we live in.”

The Aviation Management Program is offered in Brazil by Embry-Riddle in partnership with Confederacao Nacional do Transporte (CNT), Servico Social do Transporte e Servico Nacional de Aprendizagem do Transporte (SEST SENAT), Instituto de Transporte e Logistica (ITL) and Associacao Brasileira das Empresas Aereas (ABEAR).

“This partnership is extremely successful,” said Dr. Vinicius Ladeira, deputy director of SEST SENAT. “It has been delivering highly trained and resilient professionals to the aviation industry.”

The graduates are aviation professionals working for Brazil’s major airlines who have completed a 15-month program.

“We have been in Brazil with this program for seven years, with 144 current graduates and 61 more on the way,” said Israel Treptow, executive director of Embry-Riddle Central & South America.

During their studies, some of the graduates also participated in research investigating ways of using aviation fuel more efficiently.

“We were very pleased to welcome the cohorts from the Aviation Management Program to our Daytona Beach campus after two years,” said Dr. John Watret, Worldwide Campus chancellor. “It was an exciting week for them on campus, and to have the opportunity to celebrate the culmination of their hard work and commitment over the last several years was truly exceptional.”

Watch the full ceremony online.