Daytona Beach Commencement at Embry-Riddle

NEWS RELEASE

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For more information, contact:
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Phone: 386-226-6157
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Contact: Mary Van Buren
Phone: 386-226-6525

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson to Speak at Embry-Riddle Commencement; Board of Trustees Member Jay Adams to Receive Honorary Doctorate

Daytona Beach, Fla., April 21, 2008 -- The spring commencement ceremony for 705 students of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 5, at the Ocean Center.

The guest speaker, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), will receive the university’s Eagle of Aviation Award for his significant contributions to aviation. In addition, an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters will be presented to Jay Adams, a long-time member of Embry-Riddle’s Board of Trustees.

Nelson has served the people of Florida for more than three decades, as a state legislator, a congressman, and a state Cabinet officer. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000.

His reputation as the leading congressional expert on NASA is backed up by solid experience: in 1986 he spent six days orbiting Earth as a mission specialist aboard space shuttle Columbia. This life-changing experience, which Nelson detailed in his book Mission: An American Congressman’s Voyage to Space, gave him a new perspective on the Earth’s environment and a greater appreciation of NASA’s space exploration program. Nelson has strongly supported the aviation/aerospace industry in Florida throughout his political career and currently serves on several Senate committees that oversee the industry.

Nelson has been a good friend to the university over the years. To name just one instance, in 2001 he supported the naming of Embry-Riddle as the leader of a team of universities forming the FAA’s Air Transportation Center of Excellence for General Aviation. Through this partnership the FAA enhances its internal research by tapping into academic research.

The commencement ceremony will honor Jay Adams for the service, leadership, and dedication he has shown the university since the 1960s. After serving as president of the Committee of 100, a group that was instrumental in Embry-Riddle’s move from Miami to Daytona Beach in 1965, he joined the Board of Trustees in 1968. He was the Board’s vice chairman for many years, serves as the chair of the Development Committee and as a member of the Academic and Executive committees, and has played key roles in all of the university’s capital campaigns.

Adams had a long and successful career in insurance, recently retiring from his position as executive vice president and member of the Executive Committee of Brown & Brown Inc. He’s now a director of Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company.

Throughout his career, Adams was very active in the insurance community. He served as chairman of the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, a national trade organization, and is a current member of that group’s Board. He’s also been president of the Volusia County Insurers Association and a director of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents.

In the area of community service, he’s a past president and current member of the Board of the YMCA of Daytona Beach. He’s also been president of the Daytona Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Volusia County, as well as chairman of the Executive Committee of the Civic League of the Halifax Area.

In recognition of his service to education and to his community, Adams has received many honors. He’s been named a “Champion of Higher Independent Education in Florida” by the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and “Man of the Year” by the Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce. He’s also received awards from the United Way Foundation, the Civic League of the Halifax Area, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Volusia and Flagler Counties.

Spring 2008 Commencement Weekend includes the following events:

Saturday, May 3

Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Commissioning Ceremony
10 a.m., Miller Instructional Center Auditorium
The Army ROTC commissioning ceremony will be followed by a reception in the Miller Center atrium.

Friends and Family Day
11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Daytona Lagoon
Graduating students and their friends and family are invited to enjoy Daytona Beach’s premier water park courtesy of the Embry-Riddle senior class. Tickets are now on sale. Students may buy pre-paid tickets for $5 each at the Student Center Flight Deck from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the door. Quantities are limited.

Sunday, May 4

Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Commissioning Ceremony
10 a.m., Miller Instructional Center Auditorium
AFROTC will commission 22 students as second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force. A continental breakfast will be served at 9 a.m. in the Miller Center atrium. Call (386) 226-6880 for more information.

Now and Then Walk – A Personal Campus Tour
1 p.m., Maintenance Hangar
For this special tour of the campus, each student and their family will be given a map with hotspots set up by the deans of each degree program as a guide to key locations that have made the university experience such an unforgettable journey. The event begins with a cookie reception.

Master’s Hooding Ceremony
4 p.m., Miller Instructional Center Auditorium
This ceremony for graduate students of Embry-Riddle’s four colleges will be followed by a reception for the graduates and their guests in the atrium of the College of Aviation building.

Alumni Welcome Reception
6 p.m., Daytona USA at Daytona International Speedway
Each graduate and up to four guests may enjoy free, unlimited use of all Daytona USA exhibits, including Acceleration Alley, Dream Laps, and Speedplay. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. New alumni should RSVP prior to the event to receive a special leather portfolio gift at the reception. Call (386) 226-6155 for more information.

Catholic Mass
7 p.m., Embry-Riddle Interfaith Chapel

Monday, May 5

Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Commissioning Ceremony
2:30 p.m., Miller Instructional Center Auditorium
At the NROTC commissioning ceremony, 24 graduating midshipmen will take the oath of office; 21 will be commissioned as ensigns in the U.S. Navy and three as second lieutenants in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The university educates more than 34,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.