My journey into aviation began in the early 1990s with the RC hobby. What started as an interest in model aircraft ignited a passion for science, problem-solving, and flight; eventually leading me to Embry-Riddle, where I earned multiple degrees.
I spent over a decade in defense contracting, completed a Master’s and Ph.D., and returned to my alma mater as faculty. I earned tenure, helped launch a pioneering Masters in uncrewed and autonomous systems, traveled and presented my work internationally, and authored a UAS textbook, all connecting back to those early RC experiences.
Now, 25 years into my career, I look back with gratitude on those first flights (and crashes), especially the endless hours spent pouring over the pages of dog-eared Tower Hobbies catalogs that led me to where I am now. It wasn’t just a hobby, it was the spark that set everything in motion.
Pictured is Dr. Brent Terwilliger (L) and ERAU colleague Dr. Scott Burgess at AUVSI XPonential.
