Memphis man becomes first aerospace online master’s
recipient
MURFREESBORO — Approaching his mid-60s and well into his
second career after retiring as an airline pilot, Memphis’ Ed Owen decided to
tackle another challenge in life — an advanced degree.
Owen wanted to
go back to school at age 64 to pursue his master’s degree at Middle Tennessee
State University. But with a wife, Mary, and a full-time job as flight
simulator instructor for Memphis-based corporate giant FedEx, commuting to
class wasn’t an option.
So he chose the
comfort of his own home nearly 240 miles from Murfreesboro and joined the Blue
Raider educational community online.
“I was looking
for an avenue to learn more,” Owen said. “I work full time in the aviation
industry. I was looking forward to increasing my knowledge.”
On Saturday,
Dec. 14, Owen will be awarded a master’s from the university, which is in the
midst of a student success initiative to help place more degrees in the hands
of Tennesseans.
Now 66, Owen
thus becomes the MTSU Department of Aerospace’s first online master’s degree
honoree.
“Ed is our first
completely online master’s recipient in aviation safety and security
management,” said professor Wendy Beckman, his faculty mentor and adviser
throughout his two-year quest.
Aerospace chair
Ron Ferrara shared the department’s excitement that Owen, a nontraditional
student, achieved the historical milestone online for the program, which began
in 1942 and is one of the best in the nation.
“He’s a
full-time FedEx flight instructor and a retired captain,” Ferrara said. “He
started before we got the program approved. … This supports the theory of using
the online degree program to reach nontraditional students who are employed
full time.”
On. Nov. 21,
Owen made his first-ever trip to the MTSU campus to make an oral presentation
of his 80-page master’s thesis, which was titled “Assessing the Status of
Airline Safety Culture and Its Relationship to Key Employee Attitudes.”
Owen, who took
12 online courses totaling 36 hours of study, said he would not be attending
Saturday’s commencement but has enjoyed the online journey of advancing his
education and skills.
“I wondered if I
would get anything out of it, and I did,” Owen said of the pursuit of the
master’s. He added that it was a “very good” online experience in the
relatively new online program. “I was skeptical, but I was very impressed. It
was very well done.”
Owen, who took
12 online courses totaling 36 hours of study, said he would not be attending
Saturday’s commencement.
“Ed has been an
awesome student the entire way,” Beckman said. “He has done a great job in his
classwork.”
Owen earned his
undergraduate degree in building construction from Auburn University in
Alabama. He spent 30 years as a Northwest Airlines pilot. He and his wife have
two children, Danielle Fisher and Michael Owen.
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