Students From Around the World Gather for Embry-Riddle’s European Commencement
Graduates, government partners and university representatives were among those attending the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Europe commencement ceremony at The Aircraft at Burghof in Dreieich, Germany, on Saturday, September 23, 2023. In this unique venue, the "airplane" theme is reflected throughout the interior design, from aircraft seats to overhead bins to turbine casings. While the ceremony was in session, through the bull's eye windows, attendees were able to view a video depicting the final approach into LAX at night.
More than 120 students received degrees through Embry-Riddle Worldwide U.S. Military in Europe from August 2022 to July 2023, 34 of whom attended the annual celebration. A reception followed to include an alumni/Career Services information table, as well as a guest appearance from Ernie the Eagle. Undergraduate degrees were awarded in Aeronautics, Aviation Maintenance, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Project Management and Technical Management. Master’s degrees were awarded in Aeronautics, Cybersecurity Management and Policy, Management, Management Information Systems, Project Management, and Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
Worldwide Campus Chancellor John R Watret, Ph.D., FRAeS, opened the ceremony, and Nancy Tran-Horne, executive director of campus operations, welcomed the students, families and guests. Dr. Donna Roberts, associate dean for faculty; Dr. Robert Walton, associate professor of Business; and Dr. Jason Maroothynaden, commencement speaker, completed the platform party. Meredi Jiloty, director for chancellor operations at the Worldwide Campus, served as the ceremony’s reader, and Kerstin Alicki, Europe Campus director, assisted with the diploma presentation.
More than 120 students received degrees through Embry-Riddle Worldwide’s U.S. Military program in Europe this year. Thirty-four students attended the 2023 event in person. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/Nancy Tran-Horne)
“For 50 years now, Embry-Riddle has been providing exceptional education programs for the U.S. Military communities in Europe,” said Tran-Horne. “Our committed graduates now have relevant degrees and skills to take into the aviation and aerospace industries. We are extremely proud of their academic accomplishments, which they earned while working full-time and balancing family life. We also thank our government and school partners for their continued collaboration as well as the dedicated campus staff who helped our students through their academic journey.”
Maroothynaden offered the graduates valuable advice on how to navigate toward a career in aviation or space by thinking outside of the box and becoming a “rule breaker.” He is the managing director of HE Space Operations and UK director of the SpaceForce consortium. SpaceForce is a newly formed European digital, critical space systems and services consortium combining capabilities of HE Space Operations, CS Group and Sopra Steria. With more than 20 years of experience in the aerospace sector, his expertise covers investment, finance relations, venture growth, space applications, micro-gravity sciences and payload development. Following the earning of his Ph.D., Maroothynaden joined European Space Agency (ESA) as a bioinstrumentation engineer for the International Space Station program, moving up to mission operations as life science lead. In 2004, he was selected as part of the two-man ESA return crew responsible for the return of ESA astronauts and experiments back to Europe. Between 2017 and 2021, he was responsible for major space-focused investment activities across 27 European countries.
“Get those degrees and do something unexpected,” Maroothynaden told graduates. “I left the space sector to get experience from other sectors, which I am now bringing back to it. Your prior experiences are your currency. I’ve never been limited to being in the box, breaking the rules to forge a 20-year career in the sector that I love so much. As technology advances, your class of graduates enters an era of rapid change. Exploring space and addressing sustainability issues offer thrilling opportunities for development. Your personal insights and expertise hold great worth for shaping the industry's future.”
Watret summarized the day’s events, stating: “Graduates traveled from all over Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and even Fort Eustis to attend today’s commencement, underscoring our global presence and reputation. We also celebrated a milestone of 50 years in the Europe-U.S. military community. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University continues to be the primary provider of aviation and aerospace educational programs for the U.S. Military in Europe.”
Embry-Riddle has served overseas U.S. military students since 1973. Learn more about the university’s European military campus operations.