[206] MTSU, AOPA Announce Partnership During Nov. 21 Aerospace Scholarship Awards, Donors Banquet

Release date: Nov. 20, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Aerospace contact: Andrea Georgiou, 615-904-8495 or georgiou@mtsu.edu


MTSU, AOPA Announce Partnership During Nov. 21
Aerospace Scholarship Awards, Donors Banquet


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU’s nationally recognized aerospace program will honor scholarship recipients and donors, and announce a unique partnership with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association during the inaugural Aerospace Scholarship Awards Banquet starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, in the Tom H. Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall.
“AOPA is the largest pilots’ association in the world,” said Dr. Wayne Dornan, aerospace department chairman. “We are excited about the partnership. Part of the agreement is that they will provide a free membership to all our students while they are in school.”
Bruce Landsberg, executive vice president of AOPA’s Air Safety Foundation, will present the first of what will become an annual $7,500 scholarship award for the program to MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.
McPhee will talk about the aerospace scholarship program and the new partnership with AOPA.
Also expected to attend from AOPA will be Amit Sircar, vice president of marketing; Marci D’Alessio, marketing coordinator; Patrick Haller, director of marketing; and Bob Minter, the organization’s southeast regional representative and founder and chairman of the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame.
Certificates will be presented to 13 of 20 scholarship recipients who were able to attend, event organizer Andrea Georgiou said.
“This will be a recognition for the students who have received scholarships, and an appreciation to the donors for continuing to provide scholarships,” said Georgiou, an assistant professor and flight dispatch coordinator in the department.
Since 2005, approximately 123 scholarships have been awarded to aerospace students, she said.
The event also will recognize financial contributors and potential donors, Georgiou added.
Among the current donors expected to attend will be Raul Regalado, president and CEO of the Metro Nashville Airport Authority; John and Barbara Ellington; Sandra Couch; Donald and Frances McDonald; Bruce Thomas; and Dr. Wallace Maples.
Along with McPhee, other university officials expected to attend will be Joe Bales, vice president for Development and University Relations; John Cothern, senior vice president for the Division of Business and Finance; and Dr. Diane Miller, interim executive vice president and provost in the Office of Academic Affairs.
Other invited guests include John Black, executive director, and Chad Gehrke, manager, at Smyrna and Murfreesboro airports, respectively.
Dr. Wayne Dornan serves as chairman of the aerospace department, which is considered one of the university’s signature programs. There are five majors, more than 750 students and 24 faculty and staff, he said. It is one of 10 programs in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.
Major concentrations include aerospace administration, technology, flight dispatch and scheduling, maintenance management and professional pilot. The department also offers an air traffic control/collegiate training initiative program for students.

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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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