Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Marks Centennial with $300 Million Campaign Launch and $20 Million Hosseini Family Gift

• The campaign's public launch on 26 March 2026 follows $175 million already committed by donors and partners ahead of the announcement, across four growth areas: scholarships and student success; experiential learning; faculty excellence; and Centres of Excellence — described as purpose-built centres addressing the aviation and aerospace industry's toughest challenges.
• The centennial gala at the Daytona Beach Campus featured Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as keynote speaker, who highlighted ERAU's role as an economic engine — including a new Boeing Engineering Center at the university's Research Park projected to bring approximately 400 high-paying jobs to the region, and the establishment of French aircraft manufacturer AURA AERO's US headquarters and first US facility on the ERAU campus.
• At the Prescott Campus, Chancellor Ken Witcher hosted students, faculty, alumni, and industry partners at the newly completed Strategic Academic Flight Education (S.A.F.E.) Complex — the $10 million facility delivered by Sundt Construction which AFM reported on separately — with Witcher stating that "our next century holds endless promise — promise that begins with our students."
• At the Asia Campus in Singapore's Seletar Aerospace Park, Vice Chancellor Matthew Flaherty addressed students recruited from across Asia. A recorded video message from NASA astronaut Chris Williams, transmitted live from the International Space Station, was included in the ceremony.
• NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, an ERAU alumnus, contributed a congratulatory video message recognising the university's 100-year legacy and its contribution to NASA's mission and human space exploration.
• ERAU was founded in 1926 by entrepreneur T. Higby Embry and aviation pioneer John Paul Riddle, and has grown from a two-aircraft operation to a fleet of more than 100 aircraft at Prescott alone, delivering over 30,000 students annually across residential campuses and 115+ worldwide locations.

Statements

• "This $300 million comprehensive campaign is built around one idea: if we want the future of flight and space to be safer, smarter and more capable, we must invest in the people and innovative spirit that will build that future," said Neal Keating, ERAU Trustee and Campaign Chair.
• "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," said Mori Hosseini, Chairman, Embry-Riddle Board of Trustees.
• "Tonight, as we gather to honor this remarkable legacy, we also recognize that our centennial is a promise to continue pushing boundaries, expanding opportunities and preparing the visionaries who will shape the next century," said P. Barry Butler, Ph.D., President, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• "Congratulations to Embry‑Riddle on 100 years of excellence, innovation and leadership. 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," said Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator and ERAU alumnus.

Source: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University