BEYOND ENGINEERING A WORLD AND
HANDS-ON, DIRECT- APPLICATION LEARNING THAT SPARKS INNOVATION AND EXPLORATION
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
02 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
04 College of Engineering — Prescott Campus
06 Helping Students Shoot for the Stars
08 Aerospace Engineering Program
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Students Shoot for Success in Space
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Mechanical Engineering Program
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Student Finds Her Space
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Giving Students a Leading Edge
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Software Engineering Program
20 Small Class. Big Rewards.
22 Computer Engineering Program
24 Research Explores Digital Access to Leading-Edge Labs
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26 Electrical Engineering Program
28 Making Connections Count
30 Partnerships That Pay Off
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | College of Engineering 3700 Willow Creek Road | Prescott, AZ, 86301
Dear friends and colleagues, Since 1978, our mission at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
The College of Engineering’s focus on hands-on, real-world learning for undergraduate students truly differentiates our graduates. Often, our students participate in research and team projects in conjunction with leading industry partners. From the Cygnus Suborbitals team, who launched a liquid-fueled rocket that reached a record-setting altitude of 47,732 feet (more than doubling the previous U.S. collegiate amateur liquid rocket record of 22,000 feet), to the EagleSat student club responsible for designing, developing and testing CubeSats and the associated ground station, payloads and software, Embry-Riddle undergraduates are making amazing contributions to our aerospace and aviation communities. Efforts such as these have ultimately resulted in our graduates securing positions at leading aerospace companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Firefly Aerospace. In this publication, we share just a few of the contributions the College of Engineering has made to the world of aerospace. I’m proud of these achievements and hope this is the start of a deeper conversation.
University in Prescott, Arizona, has been to provide a rigorous, foundational and state-of-the-art undergraduate education. As the Dean of the College of Engineering, I witness this mission in action every day. Our undergraduates are exceptional, coming in with the highest average GPA scores of any student body in Arizona. These students come from across the world with a high level of motivation and interest in all things related to aerospace and aviation. During their time at Embry-Riddle, we prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century with hands-on, applied learning that sparks curiosity and encourages exploration. The power of the education we deliver is enabled by our facilities and faculty and driven by our focus on aerospace and aviation. In our state-of-the-art facilities, such as the STEM Education Center, Aerospace Experimentation and Fabrication Building, King Engineering and Technology Center and the Propulsion and Aerodynamics Complex, students utilize the same tools and methods as those used by engineers in industry today. Students gain firsthand insight into aerospace and aviation industries from our faculty, who possess extensive experience prior to coming to Embry-Riddle.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katherine Wood Dean, College of Engineering
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Embry-Riddle students graduate equipped with the skills needed to design solutions, incorporating everything from brainstorming ideas, refining design, building and troubleshooting to final testing and presenting a project.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY
TURNING PASSION INTO PROFESSION No matter what subject our students are passionate about pursuing, Embry-Riddle’s degree programs fuel success by combining hands-on experience and career-focused academics that prepare them to become the best and brightest in their fields.
Our courses are designed to meet real-world demands and respond to the changing situations around us, offering a trailblazing education that helps establish our students as industry leaders. At Embry-Riddle, students gain practical experience from the start, with opportunities to participate in research projects with faculty and industry, to collaborate in global competitions and to begin building their own professional networks. All of our programs offer the chance to learn on-the-job principles practiced by global companies and government agencies — experience that sets Embry-Riddle students apart in the competition for internships and jobs.
As the world’s largest and most respected university specializing in aviation and aerospace, Embry-Riddle has been at the forefront of groundbreaking aeronautical and engineering milestones since the early days of flight. With over 160,000 Eagle graduates around the globe, Embry-Riddle students are actively helping forge a new future every day.
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
PRESCOTT CAMPUS
EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION
For nearly 100 years, Embry-Riddle has been a leading-edge educator of tomorrow’s engineers, providing the tools and support students need to achieve their academic and career goals.
INSIGHTS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
1,191 students enrolled (Fall 2024)
22% of students are female
Cutting-edge facilities such as the Aerospace Experimentation and Fabrication Building (AXFAB) and the King Engineering and Technology Center Wind Tunnel Laboratory with six wind tunnels, including supersonic, closed-circuit and water tunnels STEM Education Center with the Robotics Lab, Space Grant Lab and more
Students learn from expert faculty with extensive industry experience, immerse themselves in engaging classes and challenging labs, and build lifelong personal and professional relationships. At Embry-Riddle, students are encouraged to dream big and imagine the impossible — and given the skills and knowledge they need to bring their ideas and visions to life. Our Prescott Campus offers this top-tier educational experience against the extraordinary backdrop of the Bradshaw Mountains in Arizona, a landscape that reflects the spirit of the West and offers an active campus life and unparalleled outdoor adventures.
Framed by this stunning setting, our students enjoy the renowned tradition and transformative experiences that ensure they will be ready to join the next generation of engineers from the day they graduate. Our Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Software Engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the (Aerospace/Computer/
Electrical/Mechanical/Software Engineering) Program Criteria.
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AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
HELPING STUDENTS SHOOT FOR THE STARS
The RASC-AL competition is very reflective of challenges they will face in the real world. They must meet very strict standards. It also teaches the value of collaborating and allows them to network with fellow students and industry leaders from all over the world.”
Dr. Davide Conte Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering
For a diverse group of Embry-Riddle students, a looming challenge in space exploration taught them to push the envelope of engineering innovation and global collaboration. The 15 students, who came from all of Embry-Riddle’s campuses, were part of NASA’s 2022 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts — Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) contest, which gave elite undergraduate and graduate teams from around the globe the chance to design solutions to pressing problems in spaceflight.
“This is real-world mission design,” said Dr. Davide Conte, assistant professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Prescott Campus, who served as one of the facul- ty leads for the Embry-Riddle team. “It brings together all of our campuses and is a great opportunity for students.” The 2022 contest, managed by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of NASA, examined how humans will live and work on other worlds. The Embry-Riddle team collaborated with 15 students from the Polytechnic Institute of Milan in Italy, among Europe’s top aerospace schools. Their task was to create a propellant that could be sustainably extracted from the Martian regolith, and the results were judged by a panel that included experts from The Boeing Company, SpaceX and Lockheed Martin, among other top aerospace companies.
The problem the students faced meshed perfectly with Conte’s current research, which is aimed at using near-earth asteroids to gather fuel and other resources for long-term space missions. Conte has been involved with expanding Embry-Riddle’s participation in RASC-AL since he joined the Prescott Campus faculty in 2019. “The RASC-AL competition has many benefits for students,” said Conte.
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+ One Giant Leap Michael Klooster (’22) knew he wanted to work in the space industry since he was in fifth grade, and he took one giant leap toward his dream by earning a 10-week internship at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), along with funding from the NASA Arizona Space Grant Consortium. Working in the Electromechanical Systems Branch of the NASA center, Klooster partnered with two other interns to develop new designs for a reconfigurable, modular rover to serve as a testbed for space exploration. They presented their plans at the NASA GSFC Summer 2021 Intern Symposium, where NASA engineers offered advice on their concept, as well as their career goals. “I didn’t know the correct path to take towards my goal of working at NASA. But I knew starting as an Aerospace Engineering major at Embry-Riddle that I could find the right advice, knowledge and technical skills to get there.” Michael Klooster (’22) B.S. in Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace Engineering senior Michael Klooster (’22) completed an internship at NASA, where he helped design new concepts for rovers to be used in future space explorations. Pictured is a 3D rendering of the Mars Rover Perseverance.
A LAB LIKE NO OTHER The Aerospace Experimentation and Fabrication Building, also known as the AXFAB, gives engineering students on the Prescott Campus a leading-edge facility where they can manufacture, assemble and test their projects. At the heart of the AXFAB is a fully equipped machine shop, outfitted with separate areas for welding, painting, machining and materials layout, with a qualified machinist on duty to help students use the equipment safely. The AXFAB is home to labs for Space Systems, Structural Dynamics, Materials Science, Structure and Instrumentation, Materials and Structures Testing, Uncrewed Aerial Systems and Rocket Development.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
Embry-Riddle’s undergraduate Aerospace Engineering program in Prescott was ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025 — and yet we strive to get better every day.
The coursework provides a foundation in aerodynamics, space systems, electrical fundamentals, computer applications and design. This leads to a senior-year capstone project that integrates all of their knowledge and skills and demonstrates they are more than prepared to start careers in their chosen disciplines. Embry-Riddle’s graduates enjoy a high effective placement rate, with 95% of graduates employed or continuing their education within a year of graduating.
Our students benefit from the state-of- the-art resources only Embry-Riddle can provide. They work with the same tools used by aerospace engineers around the world and take advantage of classes and labs that are designed with real-world industry needs in mind. Aerospace Engineering at the Prescott Campus offers two distinct tracks: Aeronautical (aircraft) and Astronautical (spacecraft) and gives students the skills and experience to solve the most complex challenges in design, propulsions and systems.
From their first day, students start solving critical problems and finding innovative answers. Through dynamic courses, cutting-edge technology and connections to some of the most iconic aerospace companies in the industry, Embry-Riddle students learn on-the-job engineering principles and start building a professional network within their first year. All Aerospace Engineering students attend classes in engineering-related labs and facilities and frequently work one-on-one with faculty on research projects and activities that have real-life applications.
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AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
STUDENTS SHOOT FOR SUCCESS IN SPACE
A group of 60 engineering undergraduates is preparing for the launch of a student-designed CubeSat small-scale research satellite. The project cuts across disciplines and provides unparalleled opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in all aspects of spaceflight operations. This would be the second Embry-Riddle CubeSat to head for space, following the first successful flight in 2017. The current mission, EagleSat 2, is a 3U CubeSat set to launch in 2025 as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. EagleSat is a student-led project that is getting support from the NASA Space Grant Program and through a substantial gift from the Margaret T. Morris Foundation. The spacecraft will carry a scientific payload designed to test how radiation in space can affect various types of commercially available computer memory.
“EagleSat 2 continues to be one of the student-led projects on our campus with the greatest student involvement, the highest educational return and the most challenging thresholds for success,” said Dr. Daniel White, an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering. The first CubeSat went into orbit as a secondary payload alongside a new weather satellite. The mission was to study the satellite’s orbital decay and demonstrate the use of supercapacitors for power rather than traditional rechargeable batteries. Besides proving that students could succeed in designing and building an orbital payload, the initial project also provided plenty of lessons. For example, a systems engineering approach implemented with EagleSat 2 helped shorten the development timeline, says previous Project Manager Abby Hudson (’22), now an Aerospace Engineering graduate.
For EagleSat 2, the student engineering teams also got some additional support from fellow students who are part of Embry-Riddle’s Project Management program and are PMP certified. The Project Management students, under the direction of Assistant Professor Reginald Parker, helped the engineering teams develop approaches and methods aimed at streamlining their workflows and ensuring the CubeSat is delivered to NASA on time.
The forthcoming EagleSat will leverage the organizational infrastructure that we’ve developed to field an asset that offers even greater scientific return.”
Dr. Daniel White Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
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THE RIGHT PLACE FOR ROBOTICS
The Space Robotics Laboratory suite encompasses a laboratory, classroom and breakout areas that are used for undergraduate classes and projects, faculty research and as a home for the VEX Robotics Team and the Eagle Robotics Club. The classroom serves as a lecture space and features electronic test benches and a mobile robot test table. The lab contains tools, fabrication equipment, electronic test equipment, a motion capture system, a host of robotic manipulators and an air-bearing table for testing planar space robots. The research breakout room is used by students completing their senior capstone projects as well as faculty and students working on robotics research.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Students in the Mechanical Engineering program at the Prescott Campus are empowered to explore air and space propulsion, energy and robotics.
Along with a basis in engineering fundamentals, the program also gives students the opportunity to learn more about controls, machine design and numerical modeling. This degree program prepares students to embrace the lightning speed of innovation in these fields while encouraging them to think independently and contribute their own ideas. By their second semester on campus, students will begin focusing on the different tracks offered in robotics, propulsion and energy, learning to design planetary rovers, jet engines and renewable energy sources — all key skills for the future.
Being part of this cutting-edge degree program also provides access to state-of-the-art labs on campus that are designated solely for undergraduate research. The B.S. in Mechanical Engineering builds on the success of Embry-Riddle’s highly acclaimed Aerospace Engineering program, so students benefit from the same resources and professional networking opportunities. Students will integrate their knowledge into a robotics, propulsion or energy capstone design project in their senior year — or choose an aircraft or spacecraft design project by collaborating with fellow students in the Aerospace Engineering major.
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Spirit of Space Not many undergraduate students have the chance to design, build and test their own rockets. But thanks to Embry-Riddle’s Propulsion Laboratory & Rocket Test Complex, supported in part by philanthropy and often better known as the Rocket Development Lab (RDL), close to 250 students are now actively working on rocketry projects at the Prescott Campus. The latest major endeavor involves the “Mountain Spirit” program, which was divided into two blocks, each of which focused on the design, development and testing of a rocket. Block one focused on Altair, which laid the groundwork for block two: Deneb.
After more than a year of hard work and dedication, Deneb launched on April 16th, 2023. The rocket reached an altitude of 47,732 feet, setting multiple records, including the highest under- graduate and collegiate amateur liquid rocket launch in the United States. It more than doubled the previous record of 22,000 feet. “The Mountain Spirit program involves a core group of about 25 students and taps into the talents of nearly 100 others to help develop adjacent technologies that will support the mission,” said Dr. Elliott Bryner, department chair and associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, and director of the Propulsion Laboratory and Rocket Test Complex. Students continue to utilize the cutting-edge RDL complex, which features three rocket test cells, a reinforced control room and its latest addition, Test Cell 3, which uses an enclosed liquid rocket test facility capable of handling rockets using cryogenic propellants.
Embry-Riddle engineering students successfully fired the Prescott Campus’ first liquid rocket engine inside a brand-new test facility.
Access to these types of high-end equipment and direct, hands-on experience with rockets and space vehicles are among the key factors that set Embry-Riddle students apart and have led many of them to internships and careers at companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.
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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
STUDENT FINDS HER SPACE
Mechanical Engineering student Zoe Brand (’23) earned a prestigious Brooke Owens Fellowship in 2021, joining 43 other talented undergraduates who were selected from among more than 800 applicants.
As a winner of the fellowship, Brand was connected to an executive-level mentor, attended the annual Brooke Owens Summit and became part of the network of more than 150 “Brookie” alumni in areas of space and aviation, including engineering, scientific research, policy, journalism and entrepreneurship. She also was awarded a paid professional internship with the propulsion components team at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California. Brand attributes her success at least partly to the people she was able to connect with at Embry-Riddle through hands-on projects. Brand, who served as vice president of the Embry-Riddle Rocket Development Lab, said that “the highlight of working in the Rocket Development Lab is being with so many like-minded people who are so eager to learn concepts past their schoolwork to get projects done correctly.”
The Brooke Owens Fellowship was founded in 2016 to honor Embry-Riddle alumna D. Brooke Owens (’02), a space policy expert and accomplished pilot who died of cancer at age 35. The mission of the program is to promote gender diversity in the aerospace industry by providing additional opportunities for women and other gender minorities.
Embry-Riddle has given me the opportunity to work closely with professors and become very hands on with projects.”
Zoe Brand (’23) B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
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The fifth generation mobile network, or 5G, was designed to enable cutting-edge user experiences and pave the way for new deployment models and services through quick speeds, high reliability and low latency. Unlike previous generations of mobile networks, 5G provides more connectivity than ever before.
COMPUTER, ELECTRICAL & SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
GIVING STUDENTS A LEADING EDGE
For the past 10 years, Dr. Ahmed I. Sulyman has been among those at the forefront of wireless communications research. And he’s made sure his students are right there with him.
Dr. Sulyman, interim dean and professor in the Department of Computer, Electrical & Software Engineering at the Prescott Campus, believes getting his undergraduate students directly involved in his cutting-edge research gives them a unique advantage in a competitive job market. “Undergraduates are normally there to learn the techniques, but it’s unusual for them to be exposed to high-level research,” said Dr. Sulyman, who is considered an expert in 5G wireless technology along with Internet of Things (IoT) and space communications. “It benefits them and gives them an edge.” Dr. Sulyman says he gets his own edge thanks to support from the university in general and the College of Engineering in particular, which funded the purchase of a wireless channel sounder. It was one of the keys in getting students directly involved with research work.
Since he began his wireless communications research, Dr. Sulyman has paid particular attention to the development of 5G systems and some of the issues surrounding their deployment. As a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization, Dr. Sulyman has been published in the group’s journal, with the recent publication of “Effects of Solar Radio Emissions on Outdoor Radio Propagation at 38 GHz Bands for D2D Communications.” That paper, published in May 2020, included two other authors: College of Engineering students Steven Buck and Thomas Montano. Since then, Buck worked as a lead propulsion engineer at Stellar Exploration Inc. and is the owner of Buck Engineering and Consulting, while Montano earned a co-op position at NASA and recently wrote to Sulyman: “I definitely have to thank you for giving me my start in research; that really shaped my opportunities over the last few years.”
The experiences students get here
would be hard to match anywhere else. We do it a little above everyone else and it shows in the quality of the work our students do.” Dr. Ahmed I. Sulyman Interim Department Chair, Department of Computer, Electrical & Software Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering
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Students in this growing program are prepared to fill software engineering positions in various industries, ranging from aerospace to video game development. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
Students use specialized and high-tech labs and facilities specific to the engineering field. They also will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of engineers to determine requirements for a system and then design, implement, build and test the product. Students will learn to document the entire process, which will be essential in successfully completing their final capstone project. Surveyed graduates from the Software Engineering class of ’23 achieved a 100% placement rate, meaning that each graduate had found a position in their field or had opted to continue studies in a graduate program within one year of graduation.
With real-world, hands-on projects like flight control for autonomous aircraft or power control in a hybrid automobile, this program gives students a chance to develop the knowledge and skills they need to create, test and evaluate software applications and systems. They also gain a clear understanding of network integrity and learn about the technical aspects of cybersecurity to keep those systems safe. The curriculum includes courses in general education, math, science and computing.
This degree also features an optional focus on cybersecurity. Students who select this path will be prepared to fill the growing government and industry needs for experts skilled in software development as well as in cybersecurity. Our Software Engineering graduates set themselves apart with a high level of skills in teamwork, industrial-strength documentation knowledge, design and development and quality assurance processes.
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Intel Intern Gains Hands-on Experience As a Software Engineering graduate, one of Aspen Smith’s goals is to help defend the people, software and data that keep our world safe and productive. She interned as an information security engineer for Intel Corporation to get one step closer to that goal. Smith (’24) was able to gain experience in upgrading software systems, automating processes and analyzing tools throughout her internship. “My main responsibility was updating, testing and releasing import scripts for an application-scanning tool called Threadfix,” she said. Beyond improving her hard skills, Smith also learned a lot about balancing her decisions to take initiative individually and ask for help when she needed it. “My internship with Intel gave me insight into what work I enjoy doing and, more importantly, don’t enjoy doing in the software realm,” she said. “I discovered that I enjoy automation more than I enjoy bash scripting and system maintenance.” Since the internship with Intel, Smith also gained experience as a software engineer intern with Garmin and a technical intern with Northrop Grumman. Now, she works in the Critical Skills Recruiting Program at Sandia National Laboratories. “I know that my experiences from college will contribute greatly to
my success.” Aspen Smith (’24) B.S. in Software Engineering
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COMPUTER ENGINEERING
SMALL CLASS. BIG REWARDS.
Zachary Davis (’19) could have pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a computer engineer at pretty much any school in the country. But he chose Embry-Riddle because it offered a small college experience with a big college payoff. “Everyone knows it has a really great engineering program, but I was most attracted to the smaller classes and the chances to spend time with my professors,” said Davis, who graduated with a B.S. in Computer Engineering and is now an embedded software engineer at Northrop Grumman. “At a lot of larger universities, the professors don’t even know your name. I wanted to be more than just a number.”
Davis got his wish and then some. During his journey at Embry-Riddle, he worked on a research project for Bell Helicopters, made lifelong friends who formed the foundation of his growing professional network, served on the Student Government Association and landed several challenging internships, including a stint with Raytheon in Tucson, Arizona, that led to a full-time job after he graduated. To top it off, he met his wife, Sabrina, through a Prescott Campus group called Chi Alpha, a Christian student organization. She graduated from Embry-Riddle in 2020 and is now a business operations manager for The Boeing Company. “Embry-Riddle gives you great academics, but there is more to college than that,” Davis said. “It also gave us so many opportunities to make friends and have a great social life.”
The total experience has landed Davis on the exact course he wanted. He said the vast industry experience shared by Embry-Riddle faculty members prepared him specifically for the challenges he has faced since entering the workforce. “Sometimes, I bring my old class notebooks to use as a reference when I am working on a project,” he said. When he looks back, Davis is grateful for the Embry-Riddle advantage and the difference it has made in his life — both personally and professionally. “It was a great four-year stretch,” he said.
Being able to work one-on-one with your professors is something that gives Embry-Riddle a huge advantage.”
Zachary Davis (’19) B.S. in Computer Engineering
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Hands-on projects combined with real-world system design.
+ Micro Lab, Macro Learning. The Microprocessor Systems Laboratory provides electrical, computer and software engineers a chance to learn the fundamentals of microprocessor integration and microprogramming, including analog and digital input/output to devices ranging from stepper motors to liquid crystal displays. Students start with small-scale, low-power, single-core System-on-Chip and Internet of Things microprocessors and work their way up to larger, scalable microprocessor systems for real-time and human-computer interaction applications. They make use of embedded, integrated development tools, the Analog Discovery combined oscilloscope and logic analyzer and circuit prototyping equipment to build complete hardware, firmware and software solutions.
Interesting Fact The Microprocessor Systems Laboratory provides students with the opportunity to explore construction and prototyping of a wide range of low-level to scalable real-world microprocessor-based systems.
This highly regarded degree program combines in-demand computer engineering skills with a focus on advancing the aviation and aerospace industries. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Students master programming languages, circuit theory and other skills by working with hands-on projects, combining real-world system design and development practices with the fundamentals of computer engineering. Computer Engineering majors also are provided access to knowledge and expertise in a vast array of aviation and aerospace areas. Pairing a strong academic foundation with this unique type of practical experience helps open doors in the gaming, uncrewed systems, robotics, biomedicine and computer security industries, among others.
Students at the Prescott Campus also benefit from world-class facilities that are dedicated solely for use by undergraduate students. Our students also have the opportunity to join the student chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), which has been recognized as the outstanding student chapter in the Phoenix Region. To complete the program, students are required to finish a capstone project that involves working in a team and using current industry methodology to design and build a functional computing component.
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COMPUTER, ELECTRICAL & SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
RESEARCH EXPLORES DIGITAL ACCESS TO LEADING- EDGE LABS
Providing remote access to Embry-Riddle’s suite of cutting- edge engineering labs is an abiding passion for Dr. Luis Felipe Zapata-Rivera. Since coming to the Prescott Campus as an assistant professor of Computer, Electrical and Software Engineering in January 2020, Zapata-Rivera has continued his groundbreaking research into enhancing online access to on-site laboratories. “Working in a lab remotely can never replace the face-to-face experience,” said Zapata-Rivera, who earned his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Florida Atlantic University in 2019. “But we can create scenarios where students can do hands-on work from anywhere, especially in the areas of computer and electrical engineering.”
Creating these hybrid labs is still a “work in progress,” and the COVID-19 pandemic actually provided an unexpected opportunity for a successful initial trial, with students stuck in quarantine logging on to complete their lab assignments. Online laboratory access takes two forms. One is a virtual lab, which uses simulations that students can work on without using any of the equipment in the physical lab. The other is remote access, which plugs students directly into laboratory equipment, such as the wide range of innovative devices offered in the Microprocessor Systems Lab. Zapata-Rivera, who serves as Chair of the IEEE Education Society Standards Committee, has also developed a platform prototype that allows access and real-time lab interaction.
Online lab access also has another upside, Zapata-Rivera said. It helps schools by allowing students to access expensive, high- tech equipment without the school having to buy multiple pieces of the same hardware for different campuses or lab locations. Dr. Zapata-Rivera’s ongoing work to bolster lab access for Embry-Riddle students earned him an “Outstanding Research” award from the college for 2021. He is excited about the future prospects for his project. “There are still many challenges and a lot of work to do,” he said. “But this can become something that Embry-Riddle can expand to courses across all of its campuses.”
This technology can ultimately help students, instructors and administrators to have a better laboratory experience.” Dr. Luis Felipe Zapata-Rivera Assistant Professor of Computer, Electrical and Software Engineering
The Online Laboratory Management System (OLMS) provides a central spot for students to log in and allows instructors to monitor online laboratory activity to ensure safety and compliance with procedures. The SARL (Smart Adaptive Remote Laboratory) system is designed to collect information about students, their assignments and their experience levels and then propose appropriate activities that will help maximize the benefits of their online lab experience.
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+ Unparalleled Opportunity
Electrical Engineering major Devon Kisfalvi (’23) leveraged the prestige of Embry-Riddle with his membership in the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Club on the Prescott Campus to land a coveted internship at Northrop Grumman. During his time at the iconic aerospace company, Kisfalvi worked on two projects. The first involved improving a satellite component “that would have to be specifically constructed to meet the requirements set by Northrop Grumman and NASA.” On his second assignment, Kisfalvi said he “worked with my mentor on collecting documentation for the Landsat 9 team on the Integrated Electronics Module (IEM) focusing on End Item Data Package,” which required compiling “parts lists, assembly drawings, among other reports.” “This internship wouldn’t have been possible without Embry-Riddle.” Devon Kisfalvi (’23) B.S. in Electrical Engineering Now, Kisfalvi works as an electrical engineer at Lockheed Martin in Texas.
Artist’s rendering of Landsat 9 from underneath, showing the ground-facing apertures of the two instruments: the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2, left) and the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2, right). Image: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/ Conceptual Image Lab
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
This degree program teaches students to tackle today’s problems while also anticipating the looming challenges of tomorrow.
Students follow a curriculum that covers analog and digital circuits, communications systems, computers, control systems, electromagnetic fields, energy sources and systems and electronic devices. First-year students work together to build an autonomous robot that will compete with other robotic systems to tackle designated tasks. Emphasis on design and immediate access to hands-on assembly opportunities puts our students in a unique position that boosts their employment opportunities after they graduate. Embry-Riddle students also specialize in avionics, another entry-level area currently seeing high industry demand.
The Prescott Campus is home to both the King Engineering and Technology Center and a student chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) that has been recognized as the Outstanding IEEE Chapter in its region. In all areas of this renowned program, students combine theory with practical experience that culminates in their capstone projects, which challenge seniors to conceive and complete an actual engineering project. Our students are taught and mentored by faculty members who are leading experts in electrical engineering fields and who immerse them in real-world scenarios that train them to think like engineers.
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INDUSTRY
MAKING CONNECTIONS COUNT
William “Tre’” Baca III (’23), an Aerospace Engineering graduate from the Prescott Campus, remembers having talks with his grandfather about his interest in mathematical equations and careers that would let him put it to use.
“He has always believed in me — even when I never thought I had the potential to pursue something in engineering,” he said. Embry-Riddle was Baca’s “number one choice” because of its small learning environment and the opportunities it presented for hands-on classroom experience and one-on-one interaction with professors, he said. Baca was also a campus ambassador for the Admissions Office, a role that has allowed him to form lifelong connections on campus and among members of Embry-Riddle’s extensive alumni network. One of Baca’s most impactful experiences was meeting alumnus Norman Knight (’90) while attending an admissions event in Houston. Knight, who also earned his degree in Aerospace Engineering at the Prescott Campus, is director of the Johnson Space Center Flight Operations
Directorate for NASA and has over 30 years of experience in the industry. “I was able to get his personal email and phone number, and he gave me great advice when it comes to school and in life in general,” Baca said. Baca encourages first-generation students like him to make sure they use all the resources the university has to offer — especially its vast industry connections — and never lose sight of their goals. “I always tell myself on a daily basis, ‘If I can believe it, I can achieve it,’” he said. When it comes to his dream job, Baca is quite literally shooting for the stars; he hopes to become an astronaut or aerospace engineer.
Embry-Riddle alumnus Norman Knight (’90) and Aerospace Engineering student William Baca III (’23) met at an event in Houston, Texas.
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INDUSTRY
PARTNERSHIPS THAT PAY OFF
The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Campus Space Grant, part of the Arizona Space Grant, is aimed at recruiting and training students, especially women and underrepresented minorities, for careers in aerospace science, technology and allied fields.
The program includes the Undergraduate Research Internship Program, a program in which students work with a faculty mentor on an individual or a team research project. It also features Research Infrastructure Projects, which are focused on core areas of research that align with NASA priorities and include the Aerospace STEM Challenges to Educate New Discoverers (ASCEND), in which student teams from across Arizona design and build small payloads for launch with high-altitude weather balloons.
Space Grant Research interns come from all colleges at the Prescott Campus and work on projects that align with NASA’s stated mission to “drive advances in science, technology, aeronautics and space exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality and stewardship of Earth.” “We have been supported by philanthropy and our industry partners,” said Dr. Anne Boettcher, assistant research dean at the Undergraduate Research Institute. “We’re getting greater diversity in student applications and more cross-college applications.”
The research runs the gamut and includes efforts such as a project by Software Engineering student Amber Scarbrough (’21), who addressed mathematical optimization methods and their purpose in spaceflight mechanics. Although a number of Embry-Riddle’s industry partners have stepped up to support undergraduate research efforts, Honeywell has emerged as one of the leaders, Boettcher said. “They have been amazing,” she said. “What started as a research project has become a mentor program that has helped our students secure internships and jobs.” The initial Honeywell research project, intended to characterize the flight performance of future urban air vehicles by using scaled-down models, involved six Embry-Riddle students, and all were offered Honeywell summer internships.
Of the six who interned with Honeywell during 2019 and 2020, three accepted full-time positions at the company. During 2020 and 2021, four new juniors joined the project team, and one of them has accepted a full-time job offer from Honeywell.
Honeywell and Embry-Riddle have had a longstanding
partnership and have continued to grow our relationship.” Steve Bobinsky Executive Director of Philanthropy Prescott Campus
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