University President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D.

P. Barry Butler serves as president of Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, composed of Colleges of Aeronautics; Arts & Sciences; Aviation; Business; Engineering; and Business, Security and Intelligence. Embry‑Riddle educates over 30,000 students annually at campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, and through the top-ranked Worldwide Campus.

Under his leadership since 2017, Embry‑Riddle has expanded academic, industry and government partnerships to advance the study of aviation and aerospace safety, data analytics, and aviation cybersecurity. These partnerships have strengthened discovery-driven education and led to the creation of two centers of excellence: the Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems and the Boeing Center for Aviation & Aerospace Safety. The university has also significantly expanded its Research Park, an ecosystem of aviation- and space-focused start-ups and leading companies. The latest addition is the ultra-modern Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology, which is the new home of a Boeing engineering center of excellence.

As a strong advocate for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, Butler has supported a dual-enrollment program with the Gaetz Aerospace Career Academy. The academy offers university courses to students in more than 200 Florida secondary schools. At the Arizona Campus, the STEM Education Center serves as a hub of enrichment for students, faculty, researchers and the community.

Enhancing space-related curricula is a presidential priority, which has resulted in the launch of a Master of Space Operations degree. Butler also encourages student engagement in hands-on, real-world research. Students have sent projects to space, including a camera system that became the first student-designed project to reach the moon. Another point of pride is the commissioning of ROTC graduates to serve in the U.S. Space Force.

Previously, Butler was Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of Iowa. He was responsible for more than 100 academic programs across 11 colleges. For 10 years, he served as Dean of the College of Engineering.

He holds three degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: a bachelor’s in Aeronautical Engineering, a master’s in Astronautical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering.

He has served as a visiting research fellow and consultant to government and private R&D organizations. He is a licensed pilot and glider pilot.