DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. John R. Watret has been named Interim President following the recent retirement announcement from President and CEO Dr. John P. Johnson. Dr. Watret, who joined Embry-Riddle in 1989, will begin his appointment on June 1.
“With his proven academic experience and innovative leadership, Dr. Watret has a broad understanding of Embry-Riddle as a whole. He is the clear choice to lead the next generation of our institution,” said Embry-Riddle Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Mori Hosseini.
Dr. Watret held the successive titles of Associate Dean of Academics and Associate Chancellor at the Daytona Beach Campus. In 2006, he joined the Worldwide Campus, becoming Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer and ultimately Chancellor. At the university level he has served as Associate Provost and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Watret led the reorganization of the former Embry-Riddle Extended Campus to what is today Embry-Riddle Worldwide with an emphasis on successfully transitioning a nontraditional, distributed education model into a traditional academic environment and expanding online course offerings. Dr. Watret increased accreditation efforts, enrollment, quality of faculty and staff and implemented research initiatives. In 2015, the Worldwide campus was ranked No. 5 Best Online Undergraduate Program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Well recognized in the international aviation industry, Watret led the establishment of Embry-Riddle Asia, headquartered in Singapore, in 2011 and has been instrumental in building university relationships globally throughout Europe, Australia and South America.
He has served on the executive board of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, an executive committee member of the Global Aerospace Summit Advisory Board, and has been appointed to the FAA Aviation Aerospace Workforce Committee and the University of Florida Online Advisory Board.
Dr. Watret holds a Ph.D. and a master’s in Mathematics, both from Texas A&M University, and a bachelor’s with honors from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has received numerous recognitions, but considers among the most meaningful the Outstanding Teaching Award and Outstanding Service Award bestowed by the faculty of Embry-Riddle. A professor and pilot, John, his wife Elizabeth and daughter Sophie are long-time residents of Ormond Beach, Florida.
“I am honored to serve as Interim President and sustain the forward momentum of our great institution,” Dr. Watret said. “It has been a pleasure to serve as a colleague and team member within Dr. Johnson’s administration for the entire span of his tenure and witness the incredible transformation of Embry-Riddle.”
Dr. Johnson, who assumed the presidency of Embry-Riddle in 2006 after serving as Interim President and Provost, is stepping down after 12 years, considering it “the pinnacle of his 46-year career.” His tenure includes developing campus facilities, strengthening the financial base, climbing in national rankings and expanding academic degree programs as well as increasing female enrollment, research activity and global outreach.
In recognition of his legacy of leadership and contributions to Embry-Riddle, Dr. Johnson will become the university’s first President Emeritus, continuing to act as a university ambassador and an important link to the community.
About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 75 baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 125 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.
