Science, Technology, Engineering & Math | News

Embry-Riddle Re-Ups with Aeronautics Company

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 01/14/14

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has renewed its agreement with Dassault Falcon Jet calling for the aeronautics company to collaborate for three more years with the Florida institution on education, research and business projects. Dassault Falcon president and CEO Jean Rosanvallon is an Embry Riddle graduate.

During the previous three-year agreement, the Florida university established the Dassault Design Institute, where engineering students work with faculty and Dassault mentors to study fuel, weight, engine thrust and cruising altitude of different business jets, using the Dassault Falcon 10 as a platform to evaluate technologies. The intent: to improve performance of current and future Falcon jets with advanced technologies such as winglets on wingtips, more electrical architectures or new ways to reduce internal noise.

"We value the out-of-the-box thinking that students bring to the table, along with their energy and enthusiasm," said Rosanvallon. "Projects of this kind are a forum for the dissemination of Dassault's work and a scouting ground for future prospects. In fact, many Dassault engineers received their degrees from Embry-Riddle."

"We're excited to renew our relationship with Dassault and carry on the work of the Dassault Design Institute," said Maj Mirmirani, dean of Embry-Riddle's College of Engineering at the Daytona Beach Campus. "Through these projects, our students are engaging in a dialogue with manufacturers, pilots and engineers that exposes them not only to real-world technical challenges but also to the business environment. This experience gives them a substantial advantage in the job market."

The partnership will also introduce a number of activities, such as exhibitions, conferences and competitions. Embry-Riddle has maintained similar alliances with the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, and Northrop Grumman.