HR 8085 full text · Session Watch

1 House Resolution

2 A resolution commending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical

3 University for its contributions to this state, our

4 nation, and the world in the fields of aviation,

5 aerospace, research, and innovation, and designating

6 February 10, 2026, as "Embry–Riddle Aeronautical

7 University Day" in Florida.

9 WHEREAS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was founded

10 in 1926 as the Embry-Riddle Company and was recognized in 1929

11 as one of the first five flying schools in the nation to be

12 certified under the United States Department of Commerce's Air

13 Commerce Act, and

14 WHEREAS, in 1965, through "Operation Bootstrap," the

15 university relocated to its current home in Daytona Beach,

16 beginning a new era of growth and partnership with the people

17 and economy of this state, and

18 WHEREAS, for nearly a century, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical

19 University has been the world's largest and most respected

20 university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offering more

21 than 100 high-value degree programs ranging from associate to

22 doctoral levels, as well as professional development

23 opportunities, and

24 WHEREAS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's presence in

25 Florida was almost $2.2 billion in 2023, and the Research Park

26 alone had an economic impact of $372 million in 2023, creating

27 more than 220 high-wage jobs and attracting $146 million in

28 grants and equity investments since 2017, and

29 WHEREAS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has served as

30 a hub of innovation and partnership among academia, industry,

31 and government, producing 178 invention disclosures across 28

32 departments and securing 23 United States patents over the past

33 two decades, and

34 WHEREAS, the university's Research Park continues to expand

35 with the opening of Boeing's engineering center and the first

36 United States facility for French aircraft designer Aura Aero in

37 2025, further cementing Florida's leadership in aerospace

38 research and advanced manufacturing, and

39 WHEREAS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University welcomed a

40 record-breaking 2,410 new students for the 2025–2026 academic

41 year in Daytona Beach, with representation from all 50 states

42 and 69 countries, and has seen a 24 percent increase in

43 enrollment on its Daytona Beach campus over the past 5 years,

44 and

45 WHEREAS, the university has earned numerous national

46 distinctions, including being ranked as the number one school

47 among "Most Innovative Schools," third among "Best Colleges for

48 Veterans" for regional universities in the South, and fourth

49 nationally for Aerospace Engineering programs with a doctorate-

50 level program option, maintaining its top-five status for 3

51 consecutive years, and

52 WHEREAS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is one of the

53 first three institutions to join the Federal Aviation

54 Administration's Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training

55 Initiative, strengthening the air traffic controller talent

56 pipeline critical to the nation's aviation infrastructure, and

57 WHEREAS, in 2025, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

58 achieved the distinguished Carnegie R-2 Research designation,

59 securing over $50 million in external research funding for

60 fiscal year 2024-2025, reaching a record in university history,

61 affirming its growing reputation as a leading research

62 institution, and

63 WHEREAS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University continues to

64 advance Florida's role in the new space economy through

65 groundbreaking, student-driven projects, including EagleCam, the

66 first university student-built payload to land on the moon, and

67 LLAMAS, a student-designed camera system that captured the first

68 video of crew operations during a civilian spacewalk, and is

69 also a founding member of the Florida University Space Research

70 Consortium, and

71 WHEREAS, the university has pioneered the world's first

72 bachelor's degree in Commercial Space Operations and the

73 nation's first undergraduate program in Aerospace Physiology,

74 preparing Florida's workforce for the growing aerospace and

75 commercial space industries, and

76 WHEREAS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's community

77 includes more than 150,000 accomplished alumni worldwide,

78 including 10 astronauts and 13 four-star generals and admirals

79 from the United States Armed Forces, along with a dedicated

80 Board of Trustees representing leadership across aviation,

81 aerospace, and academia, and

82 WHEREAS, for nearly 100 years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical

83 University has exemplified Florida's commitment to innovation,

84 education, and global leadership in aviation and aerospace, NOW,

85 THEREFORE,

87 Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

88 Florida:

90 That February 10, 2026, is designated as "Embry–Riddle

91 Aeronautical University Day" in Florida in recognition of Embry-

92 Riddle Aeronautical University's contributions to the State of

93 Florida, its impact on the aerospace and aviation industries,

94 and its dedication to excellence in education, research, and

95 innovation.

96 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be

97 presented to P. Barry Butler, President of Embry–Riddle

98 Aeronautical University, and the leadership of Embry-Riddle

99 Aeronautical University as a tangible token of the sentiments

100 expressed herein.