Embry-Riddle President Launches Centennial Celebration in Annual State of the University Address

In his annual State of the University address, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University President P. Barry Butler honored the institution’s 100th anniversary by recognizing its storied past and presenting a strategy for its future.

The 2025-’26 academic year marks the centennial of Embry-Riddle’s founding in 1926 — a time when aviation was in its dawn.

Embry-Riddle’s founders, John Paul Riddle and T. Higbee Embry, had a vision “to teach the world to fly,” Butler told faculty and staff during three presentations at Embry‑Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Florida; Prescott, Arizona; and Worldwide campuses.

“We began with the bold spirit of our founders, but it’s everybody since — the countless staff, students, faculty, alumni, and other friends and partners — that have shaped this institution into the premier aerospace university in the world,” Butler said.

Butler noted the qualities that have contributed to Embry-Riddle’s excellence, including, among others, high-achieving students, passionate faculty and staff, supportive trustees, highly ranked programs and impactful research.

He also highlighted the university’s supportive alumni and strong partnerships with industry, local government, community leaders and state representatives.

In a year in which many universities have struggled, Butler underscored Embry-Riddle’s firm financial position. “We’ve had year-over-year increases in operating revenue for over a decade.” The university has also received three credit rating increases in the same period — “a statement of confidence,” he said.

In 2025, Embry-Riddle welcomed one new member to its Board of Trustees. Retired four-star General Jacqueline D. Van Ovost joined in May and brings a wealth of experience and aerospace expertise to the university, he said. Butler also credited Embry-Riddle’s Board of Trustees for providing strong support and guidance.

Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini described Embry-Riddle’s centennial as a milestone of profound significance.

“While we honor remarkable past achievements, it is the promise of the future that inspires our anticipation and hope. Guided by the vision of our Board of Trustees and President Butler, Embry-Riddle is poised for continued excellence,” Hosseini said in a statement.

“This progress depends on the dedication of our esteemed faculty and staff, whose commitment ensures a transformative education and academic experience for our students,” he continued. “As we celebrate our legacy, we look ahead, excited to shape what’s next for Embry-Riddle, aviation, aerospace and for the next generation of explorers.”

Butler’s State of the University address centered on the pillars of the university’s five-year strategic plan, detailing progress on each goal and forward-looking objectives.

Pillar 1: The Student Experience

Butler noted that Embry-Riddle students continue to excel on a national stage — in academics, research and athletics.

“Getting undergraduates involved in research projects is an important part of advancing them,” Butler said.

Embry-Riddle students take part in both funded research and research-driven competitions. The 2024-’25 academic year was a record one for research symposia on all three campuses, with more student projects presented than ever before.

Other notable student accomplishments included:

• A first-place finish at NASA’s 2025 Human Lander Challenge. The winning Embry-Riddle student team earned the $10,000 grand prize for its design of a novel spacecraft fuel gauge system.
• The Golden Eagles Flight Team’s 16th national collegiate aviation championship.

• The athletic program’s first NCAA II team title. The women’s rowing team battled challenging conditions to secure the national title in May.

Butler also highlighted the development of LLAMAS, a student-built camera system that captured crew activities in space during the historic Polaris Dawn mission. In a video of alumnus Jared Isaacman leaving the SpaceX Dragon capsule to conduct the first-ever civilian spacewalk, the camera can be seen capturing it all.

Butler noted that four Embry-Riddle students were named to the Aviation Week Network 20 Twenties Class of 2025. Embry-Riddle had the most students named to the class, which recognizes the most promising aerospace-bound university students.

Moving forward, the university will continue to support student success by investing in student-centric facilities. Butler stressed aligning educational offerings with emerging aerospace needs, citing artificial intelligence, cyber resilience and business acumen as critical examples.

“Teamwork, communication and problem-solving,” he added, “are also characteristics that our students need to compete and get ahead in their careers.”

Pillar 2: Enrollment Management

Embry-Riddle’s enrollment remains strong. Across both residential campuses, total enrollment has grown 40% since the fall of 2017, while Worldwide Campus course registrations have also increased.

Though Butler noted an approaching drop in high school graduates over the next few years, he nonetheless expected Embry-Riddle to do well thanks to its focus on industry-relevant degrees that translate to high starting salaries.

“We continue to offer degrees that are a high return on investment and are attractive to young people,” Butler said. “That is something we are very proud of.”

Butler anticipates future growth in Embry-Riddle’s Air Traffic Management program, as the U.S. seeks to hire thousands of air traffic controllers. The program is now part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative, which provides students with an accelerated path to employment. The university has also launched a new associate degree program in Air Traffic Management.

Butler also anticipates growth in the Aviation Maintenance Science program, with strong industry demand for technicians. Embry-Riddle has partnered with Daytona State College on a new program to increase the number of highly skilled technicians.

A third area of expected growth is Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide Asia Campus, which celebrated its grand opening in Singapore's Seletar Aerospace Park. “We’re right there in the heart of Singapore’s aerospace industry, and we are the only university there,” Butler said.

Pillar 3: Academic and Faculty Success

“We’ve enjoyed incredible growth in faculty honors,” Butler said of the third strategic pillar. Embry-Riddle faculty from multiple colleges were honored with major research, teaching and career awards, including being named American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics fellows and Royal Aeronautical Society fellows, as well as being recognized at Embry-Riddle’s inaugural research awards.

During the 2024-’25 academic year, the university also gained global recognition for strength in its signature fields. The Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety, for example, was awarded a 2025 Aviation Week Laureate for pioneering work in global aerospace safety.

Going forward, the university will continue to invest in its Centers of Excellence: the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety, the Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems and the Center for Space and Atmospheric Research. This includes focused faculty hiring in programs relevant to space, artificial intelligence, aerospace cybersecurity, and aviation and aerospace safety.

“We are going to continue to push hard and recruit the best faculty out there,” Butler said.

Pillar 4: Research and Innovation

In 2025, Embry-Riddle built on its past success in external research funding, with the university securing more than $55 million in grants and supporting 73 Ph.D. students.

Embry-Riddle also strengthened its standing in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, earning an R2 designation. R2 status denotes high research spending and Ph.D. production.

In 2025, the university became a founding member of the Florida University Space Research Consortium, a first-of-its-kind initiative that facilitates the awarding of NASA research grants in partnership with the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Embry-Riddle has also secured $100 million in state and local grants, Butler said.

To further elevate Embry-Riddle’s research enterprise, the university will continue to focus resources on signature fields, he said, citing hypersonics, atmospheric research and next-generation aviation technology as examples.

Pillar 5: Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement

Over the past year, Embry-Riddle has raised $33.1 million in philanthropic support, the second-highest amount in university history. Butler also noted the university has raised $162 million of a previously set $200 million goal.

To honor Embry-Riddle’s centennial anniversary, the university will launch its most ambitious fundraising campaign yet in 2025-’26.

The campaign, which will begin with a gala in March 2026, focuses on four pillars: research, faculty support, scholarships and experiential learning.

“As we put this campaign together, we connected it very closely with our strategic plan,” Butler said.

While the centennial celebration honors Embry-Riddle’s past 100 years, “it’s also about what’s next. I call this investing in the next 100 years,” he said.

Key Takeaways

Butler concluded his State of the University address by emphasizing the role the Embry-Riddle community has played in the last century of excellence and the role it will play in the next 100 years of innovation.

“Embry-Riddle is the premier aerospace university because of all of you,” Butler said, encouraging faculty and staff to continue collaborating in service of Embry-Riddle’s students, alumni and the broader industry.

He also invited them to join in celebrating Embry-Riddle’s centennial at events at the Prescott, Daytona Beach and Singapore campuses, as well as in photos and through displays across the university.

“Our goal is to celebrate our history, but also to launch our future,” he said.