Talon Talks

Janet is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Stellar Solutions Inc., a leading provider of high-impact engineering services to significant intelligence, defense, civil, commercial, and international customers. She is responsible…

Ron has been an engineer at Boeing for 30 years. He has worked on testing weapons systems for unmanned aerial vehicles and was involved in the early years of using…

We interviewed three alumni who supported Operation Allies Refuge, the international airlift that evacuated 120,000 people from Kabul, Afghanistan in August 2021, for “Providing Refuge,” a story in the Fall/Winter…

Hina Kazmi has led an impressive career since earning her aerospace engineering degree from Embry-Riddle in 1993: from spacecraft engineer at Boeing to program manager for NASA's SOFIA airborne telescope.…

Kathy Wood ('93, '18) spent most of her career in aerospace engineering, working for 12 years as director of nacelle programs at Collins Aerospace and at United Technologies. She is…

As Integrated Product Lead at Collins Aerospace, Nishi is working to integrate the first-ever touch screen cockpit displays on commercial Boeing aircraft. She is also the founder of Project LaunchPad,…

Lisa Anderson ('99, '03) is one of our Distinguished Alumni Award winners for 2021. She is chief of the commercial air travel safety unit at the United Nations, a program…

Jared and Kurt are both involved in aerial firefighting — Jared as pilot of an Avro RJ85 jet for Aeroflite Aerial Firefighting, and Kurt at the Prescott air tanker base.…

Matt Savoca is co-founder of Kutta Technologies, which is a manufacturer and supplier of command-control-communications software applications and components, with a focus on government and defense applications. He is now…

In this special episode of Talon Talks, we speak with three representatives from FedEx Aircraft Maintenance who were visiting the Daytona Beach campus to talk about their Purple Runway Scholarship,…

Jenna is a senior vice president and financial crimes director for Wells Fargo bank. She manages a team that investigates everything from fraud to terrorist financing. She graduated from Embry-Riddle's…

Modularity Space is developing low-cost modular satellites that can be repaired, refueled, and upgraded in space, in an effort to make the satellite industry more sustainable. Nolan Coulter is their co-founder…

John Maris is the rare Embry-Riddle triple alumnus: He has two masters degrees, from 1982 and 1983, and was an early recipient of an Embry-Riddle doctorate in 2017. He’s an…

Stephanie Miller is executive director of technology transfer and research park initiatives at Embry-Riddle, which means she manages operations at our research park, including the Micaplex Business Incubator. She has…

Stacy is chair of the Helicopter Association International’s board of directors and is a helicopter captain for Executive Jet Management. She was previously a Huey and Black Hawk pilot for…

Mark has been a pilot for more than 3 decades, starting with TWA. He’s still flying, now for American Airlines, and is also an author of several fiction and nonfiction…

Dana is the founder and Chief Academic Officer of American High School, an accredited, entirely online high school. She is responsible for curriculum, growth strategy, culture, operations, R&D, sales, product…

In addition to flying 737s for United Airlines, Korry Franke is an author and inspirational speaker. His book, 3 Feet to the Left: A New Captain’s Journey from Pursuit to…

Tim Perry came to Embry-Riddle while he was serving in the Air Force. He graduated in 1986 from our Prescott Campus with a degree in professional aeronautics and continued to…

Danielle Rosales (’18) published articles with Air & Space Magazine even while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in communications. She now works as a Marketing and Sales associate at Space Tango,…

Mike (’81) and Joyce (’86) Pepin, the husband-and-wife owners of Pepin Realty in Ormond Beach, Florida, are also leaders of our Daytona Beach alumni network. They coordinate events and activities…

This episode was recorded in February 2020. Anthony Brickhouse has been on our faculty since he graduated, and is now an Associate Professor of Aerospace and Occupational Safety and Director…

This special episode of Talon Talks is a collaboration between Career Services and the Office of Alumni Engagement, and focuses on the options available in this changing job market. Listen…

Ken is chair of the flight department and assistant dean for the College of Aviation on our Daytona Beach Campus. He also fosters dogs and coaches the Embry-Riddle Eagles hockey…

John Phillips (’90, ’92), Embry-Riddle’s Director of Athletics for our Daytona Beach teams, worked in flight operations for an F-15 squadron in the US Air Force before he enrolled in…

Mike Geldart is founder and CEO of GRD Biomechanics. When he suffered an injury after crashing a race car, he came up with an idea for an improved knee brace to help people recovering from similar injuries. He polished the design, won entrepreneurship competitions, and founded his company to manufacture the advanced knee brace. We talked about the technical details of the design and how he was able to take it from concept to viable product with the help of his mechanical engineering degree.

We invite you to listen to our conversation about a new era of lunar exploration with Steve Altemus ('87), president and CEO of Intuitive Machines. His company is positioned to be the first private business to land on the Moon as part of a $77.2 million payload delivery contract with NASA.

Alain Aguayo (’11, ’16) came to Embry-Riddle in 2006 from the Dominican Republic, itching to be a commercial pilot. He came back for a second bachelor’s degree in Aerospace & Occupational Safety, but not before learning to fly upside-down and becoming an aerobatics enthusiast. He won his first competition and the thrill of aerobatics gripped him ever since. We talked about how to get involved in aerobatics, his seemingly contradictory passion for safety, and even a little bit of Mario Kart.

Michelle Lucas ('00) is the founder and president of Higher Orbits, a nonprofit that promotes STEM education and student success, and co-founder of UniPhi, a management agency that creates public opportunities for retired astronauts to share their experiences with others. She was honored with the Eagle Entrepreneur Award in 2019.

Dennis Jones (’80) retired earlier this year from his post as Managing Director at the National Transportation Safety Board, where he investigated some 1,300 aircraft accidents over his 4-decade career.…

Ed Onwe (’12) started his career hands-on in aviation maintenance and worked his way up to Vice President and General Manager of VT San Antonio Aerospace, the world’s largest aircraft…

As founder and CEO of the private equity firm Muir & Associates, Douglas Muir has built several multi-million dollar companies from the ground up. He has also hosted a radio show,…

Fans of Klyde Morris, the so-called “Aviator Ant,” will recognize Wes Oleszewski’s name immediately. The comic strip has been published in The Avion for more than 40 years, but Wes…