Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, president at California Baptist University, speaks at the Collegiate Aviation Conference & Expo hosted by the aviation science department at the Riverside Convention Center on Sept. 14.

Riverside, Calif. (Sept. 14, 2017) – The department of aviation science at California Baptist University is hosting a national aviation conference this week that brought approximately 200 University Aviation Association (UAA) members from across the country to Riverside.  

Dr. Daniel Prather, chair of aviation science and current president of UAA, said hosting the conference is an opportunity for CBU’s aviation science program to gain national recognition.

“[The conference] brings visibility to our programs and to our faculty and staff,” Prather said. “It helps elevate our programs among our peers.”

The 70th annual Collegiate Aviation Conference & Expo is being held at the Riverside Convention Center from Sept. 13-15.

UAA represents more than 100 collegiate aviation programs nationwide, as well as a number of aviation high schools and aviation companies. 

“This is an opportunity for collegiate aviation faculty from around the country to come together and share best practices, share ideas, share research and collaborate in a way that’s really necessary for us to meet the demands in the industry,” Prather said.

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, spoke at the conference’s opening session on Sept. 14.

“While there have been and remain numerous challenges and opportunities birthing the CBU aviation program, under Dr. Prather’s leadership … we don’t believe there are limits to where we can take this program,” Ellis said. “As a higher education decision maker, I encourage you to embrace change. Be a problem-solver, demonstrate ROI and deliver. Help your institution to soar.”

The aviation science program, which is in its fifth year, is housed at the CBU Flight Operations Center located in the Riverside Municipal Airport. The program offers five majors: aviation dispatch, aviation flight, aviation inflight services, aviation management and unmanned systems. The program also has an approved FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Center. 

For more information on the CBU aviation science program please click here.