Embry-Riddle has launched Imagine What’s Next — an ambitious, comprehensive campaign to propel Embry-Riddle into its next century of educational excellence and innovation.
PRESCOTT, Ariz.
From around the globe to outer space, Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University marks a century of excellence in aviation and aerospace — and envisions an even bolder future.
The university recently held centennial events across its campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, Prescott, Arizona, and Singapore.
“In 1926, T. Higby Embry and John Paul Riddle launched an audacious plan to teach the world to fly. One hundred years later, their bold vision endures as the university we know today,” Prescott Campus Chancellor Ken Witcher, Ph.D., told guests at a March 26 gala at the campus.
The events included a historic announcement and donation from Embry-Riddle Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini and his wife, Forough Hosseini — a $20 million gift to Imagine What’s Next: The Campaign for Embry‑Riddle. The campaign, which went public, is Embry-Riddle’s largest and most successful fundraising effort to date, aiming to raise $300 million in philanthropic gifts by 2030.
“Tonight is a launch. And launches require leadership, commitment and people who choose to shape the century ahead,” Witcher said.
Chairman Hosseini honored the momentous anniversary by recognizing the university’s legacy of partnerships with alumni, donors, industry and government to generate real-world impact. He also emphasized the need to strengthen those partnerships in an era of global competition, when higher education institutions need to “move faster, think bigger and lead with purpose.”
“Together, we will shape the next century of aviation and aerospace and ensure that Embry-Riddle continues to lead the world toward what’s possible,” Hosseini told audiences across Embry-Riddle’s campuses.
Imagine What’s Next: The Campaign for Embry‑Riddle
Embry-Riddle has set a transformational goal with Imagine What’s Next: The Campaign for Embry‑Riddle. In addition to the $20 million gift from Chairman Hosseini and his wife, generous donors and partners have already committed $175 million ahead of the campaign’s public launch to four key growth areas:
- Scholarships and student success: To remove barriers so that every potential future Eagle can transform their dreams into reality.
- Experiential learning: To further Embry‑Riddle’s hands-on, learn-by-doing approach and expand the tools, experiences and projects available to students.
- Faculty excellence: To attract, hire and develop elite faculty through the creation of endowed chairs, professorships and center directors.
- Centers of Excellence: To build and strengthen centers that solve the industry’s toughest challenges by bringing the right people to work together with the best tools, best data and the urgency to deliver results.
“At Embry-Riddle, we don’t just imagine what’s next — we design it, build it, test it and fly it,” said Steven Bobinsky, assistant vice president of philanthropy for the Western Region. “Every breakthrough this university has achieved over the past 100 years has been powered by partnership.”
Eagles Celebrate Across the Globe
From the Daytona Beach Campus to the Worldwide Asia Campus in Singapore, Eagles joined in the celebrations at venues decked out in blue and gold.
A highlight of the celebrations came when notable figures in aviation and aerospace — including pilots, astronauts and industry leaders — recognized Embry-Riddle’s centennial.
“Congratulations to Embry-Riddle on 100 years of excellence, innovation and leadership,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who is an alumnus, said in the video. “I’m honored to be an Eagle and excited for the next century of Eagles who will contribute to NASA’s mission and really mankind’s mission to live and explore amongst the stars.”
The evening also included a recorded message from NASA astronaut Chris Williams as he orbited Earth aboard the International Space Station.
“To every student, alum and educator, keep dreaming big, stay curious and keep looking up,” he said. “On behalf of the crew of the International Space Station, I want to wish you congratulations on your centennial and thank you for inspiring generations worldwide.”
At the Prescott Campus, Witcher joined students, faculty, alumni and industry partners at the university’s Strategic Academic Flight Education Complex.
“When the Prescott Campus opened in 1978, it welcomed fewer than 300 Eagles. Today, thousands of students call Prescott home,” Witcher said.
The unveiling of a centennial-themed Embry-Riddle challenge coin capped off the ceremony.
“For 100 years, this university has shaped the people who shaped the skies,” Witcher said. “Tonight, we honor that legacy and look forward to the discoveries yet to be made.”
Photo Caption: Prescott Campus Chancellor Ken Witcher, Ph.D., speaks at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Centennial Gala. (Photo: Embry-Riddle)
About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Reporters worldwide contact Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for content experts in all aspects of aviation, aviation business, aerospace, engineering and STEM-related fields. Our faculty experts specialize in unmanned and autonomous systems, security and intelligence, air traffic and airport management, astronomy, human factors psychology, meteorology, spaceflight operations, urban air mobility and much more. Visit the Embry-Riddle Newsroom for story ideas.
Embry-Riddle educates over 30,000 aspiring aerospace and aviation professionals at its residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona, and across more than 115 Worldwide Campus locations and online degree programs. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report named Embry-Riddle Worldwide the nation’s No. 1 provider of online bachelor’s degree programs among private universities. Our residential campuses hold multiple Top 10 rankings. All of our campuses have been ranked Best for Veterans.
