91短视频

The decorative conversion of Lancaster Airport鈥檚 terminal with elegant royal blue accents and signage bearing the 91短视频 Lancaster logo was one sight associate provost Mary Jensen and her team won鈥檛 soon forget.

The April 10 evening event in the terminal was a dual celebration: a launch party to announce 91短视频 Lancaster鈥檚 new aviation program, the first collegiate degree of its kind in the region, and a gathering of 91短视频 alumni in honor of Lov91短视频 Giving Day, a one-day fundraising campaign.

Lancaster Airport, the fourth busiest airport in the state, is home to 24 businesses, including the regional carrier Southern Airways.

Some of those aviation professionals were in attendance among the crowd, which also included business owners, media invitees, prospective students and 91短视频 alumni.

鈥淭here was excitement in the air,鈥� said Jensen. 鈥淭his program illustrates the unique role 91短视频 Lancaster plays in the region, bringing innovative, partnership-based programs in response to the demands and economic needs of our region.鈥�

Four years in the making, the fully accredited program 鈥� offering a bachelor鈥檚 degree in leadership and organizational management with private and commercial pilot certificates, instrument rating and a flight instructor certificate 鈥攊s definitely off the ground and in the air. Several students are enrolled for fall 2018, and word is spreading about the new opportunity.聽The program courses meet one day per week on site at 91短视频 at Lancaster, allowing students the flexibility to work and conveniently schedule their individual flight time the rest of the week.

Read more about the LOM degree with an aviation concentration.

Partnering with a Lititz-based flight school, the new program develops students as pilots and leadership-oriented professionals from the first semester of ground school through an internship in the aviation field and beyond.

Matt Kauffman, director of operations at Aero-Tech, said the collaboration is an exciting opportunity to join an organization with the similar goal of developing people to their full potential. Aero-Tech鈥檚 values of 鈥渃ommunity, integrity, stewardship and service鈥� align well with 91短视频鈥檚 mission of preparing students to serve and lead in a global context, he added. And he鈥檚 especially intrigued by the potential of working with pilots who are also engaged in collegiate studies and bring a different perspective into their flight training.

Both Tom Baldridge, president and CEO of The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and David Eberly, Lancaster Airport director, pointed out the program鈥檚 potential economic benefits to area residents and businesses.

A recent study by Boeing projects a shortage of 637,000 pilots over the next 20 years, Eberly said, which roughly means 87 new pilots a day 鈥渢o maintain airlines to today鈥檚 standards.鈥�

91短视频 Lancaster鈥檚 program provides an FAA-approved expedited path to earning an Airline Transport License, saving students both time and money and leading more quickly to employment in a high-demand career, Eberly said.

Baldridge called the program 鈥渙ne more opportunity to keep these graduates locally, to provide family-sustaining jobs and to create a greater economic impact in this region.鈥�

The program will coordinated by Jim Cistone, who holds a PhD in aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and has more than three decades of varying experience in the field, from business development, engineering, software development and program management. He is also a certified flight instructor.

Jensen concluded with thanks to her team at 91短视频 Lancaster, 鈥渙ne of the most innovative, collaborative and engaged groups of people with whom I鈥檝e ever had the opportunity to work.鈥�

She especially noted the efforts of Julie Siegfried, director of operations, and Catherine Stover, associate director of marketing and communication. The duo 鈥渃aught the vision鈥� and conducted market research and a feasibility study.

鈥淚t was all here waiting when I arrived in 2015,鈥� said Jensen, who became the site鈥檚 first associate provost in 2015. 鈥淪o without those two women, their vision and perseverance, this probably could not have happened.鈥�