Jennifer Schaeffer has been named Director for Prestigious Awards and Fellowships, a role in which she will be working across all three campuses of Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University to increase awareness of and access to prestigious award and fellowship opportunities.

Schaeffer, who started in her new position on March 12, will communicate with faculty and leadership to identify talent, matching student experience with awards and increasing the number of applications and awards to students in every discipline. She will build connections with a national network of professionals within the prestigious awards area and assist students with their research proposals and personal statements. Schaeffer will also develop new ideas and approaches to attract students and advance the mission of the university’s Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships. 

Prior to joining Embry‑Riddle, Schaeffer served as the Director of the Center for Honors and Scholar Development at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach and as faculty in the School of Music and Honors Program at Central Michigan University.

She earned a Bachelor of Music in clarinet performance (summa cum laude) from Shenandoah University and a Master of Music in music theory from Michigan State University.

Her research on student success outcomes achieved through innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum in higher education has been presented at national and international conferences. In 2016, she received the Central Michigan University Student Choice Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Jennifer looks forward to collaborating with ERAU students, alumni, faculty and staff to raise awareness of prestigious award and fellowship opportunities and to working closely with students through their award application process.

Dr. Bert Zarb, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of Accounting, thanks Dr. Aaron Clevenger, Dr. Anne Boettcher, Dr. Ronnie Mack and Ms. Jennifer Fox for serving on the search committee and for assuming duties additional to their regular responsibilities in order to work with students during the search process.