Photo caption: Named as the new director for the recently formed School of Business at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Dr. Tom Drape is a popular professor in the rapidly growing department. Drape has been a faculty member since 2015.
The recently formed School of Business at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) has a new director.
He is Thomas Drape, an ERAU faculty member the past three years. Drape was on the graduate faculty at Azusa Pacific University in California. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Drape earned a bachelor’s degree at the U.S. Air Force Academy and a doctoral degree from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.
Drape is replacing Dr. Robin Sobotta, who earlier this year was named to serve as airport manager for the Prescott Municipal Airport.
In making the announcement, Dr. Kathleen Lustyk, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences where the school is housed, said, “Drape is the right person at the right time to take on this role. His vision for the school focuses both internally and externally on expanding learning opportunities for students by securing ‘experts in residence’ and by collaborating nationally and internationally with business scholars and experts.”
Drape said, “This is an exciting time for our School of Business. Through our amazing faculty and talented students, we continue to build upon our unique strengths and innovate for the future. We offer experiential hands-on, project-based learning opportunities for our students with real-world clients.
“We create unmatched learning opportunities for our students such as supply chain security, cybersecurity, as well as white collar crime prevention.”
ERAU business school personnel emphasize that their students have unique consulting opportunities with clients from the aviation and aerospace industries.
Those students are often participants in major aviation and global business events such as the National Business Aviation Association Conference in Las Vegas and the Dubai Air Show in the United Arab Emirates.
The School of Business offers four baccalaureate degrees: aviation business administration, business administration, global business and supply chain management, and forensic accounting and fraud examination. Students also can earn a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
