Raisbeck, Embry-Riddle establish professorship, scholarship

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will offer a four-year, full-tuition scholarship for Raisbeck Aviation High School students and will soon have an endowed engineering professorship at its Prescott, Arizona, campus, Raisbeck Engineering announced April 6.

The Raisbeck Engineering Design/Build/Test Endowed Distinguished Chair is endowed by a $1 million gift from Raisbeck Engineering and its foundation, and will emphasize hands-on aspects of engineering applications for juniors and seniors at Embry-Riddle, Raisbeck Engineering said. The Raisbeck Aviation High School/Embry-Riddle Prescott Scholarship is available each year to a student at the Seattle high school who meets certain academic criteria and displays a financial need. The parallel moves will further efforts by Raisbeck Engineering, Embry-Riddle, and Raisbeck Aviation High School in Washington state to advance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

“It is very gratifying to see the fruits of our labors over the years allow for these and other allied programs in education,” said James Raisbeck, founder and CEO of Raisbeck Engineering, in a media release. “These are the young and motivated students who will graduate and apply their advanced education to keeping the United States at the forefront of aviation and aerospace technology worldwide.”

Raisbeck Legacy Scholarships already established at the high school send 10 or more students to engineering summer camps at the Embry-Riddle Prescott campus, according to a media release. The new scholarship will be available to Raisbeck Aviation High School’s June graduating class. Bruce Kelly, principal and CEO of the high school, called the scholarship the largest financial award available to the school’s students and said it “affirms our vision to prepare the next generation for the high-demand careers within the aviation/aerospace industry.” The total scholarship fund is based on current tuition, valued at $30,000 per recipient per year, for 10 years, according to a media release.