Official CV here: Young CV
Dr. Seth Young, Ph.D., A.A.E., CFI has been on the faculty of the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University since 2008, and the McConnell Chair of Aviation since 2012. Dr. Young was the founding Director of The OSU Center for Aviation Studies since the reorganization of the university’s aviation programs in 2011. Dr. Young holds the position of Associate Professor in Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, and hold courtesy faculty appointments in the Knowlton School of Architecture’s City and Regional Planning Program, and the OSU Department of Geography.
Dr. Young holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering / Transportation and M.S. in Industrial Engineering / Operations Research from the University of California Berkeley, and a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Young is an Accredited Airport Executive with the American Association of Airport Executives, and holds commercial pilot with instrument airplane (ASEL, ASES, tailwheel endorsed) and certified flight instructor ratings from the Federal Aviation Administration.
More unofficial biographical information, in reverse chronological order, written in the first person…
Prior to my arrival to Columbus, I spent ten years on the faculty at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. ERAU was my first faculty position after grad school. I earned my tenure through ERAU’s College of Business, where I focused on my teaching and research in airport operations, planning, design, and management. I became very involved in the American Association of Airport Executives there, as faculty adviser to the ERAU student chapter. At one point, we were the largest chapter in the nation. I still keep in touch with many of my former ERAU students, who are now in some real positions of power in the industry – a real reward of being a professor is seeing former students become real success stories. Great stuff.
While at ERAU I earned my flight ratings, up through Commercial ASEL, and ASES, and went on to earn my CFI here at OSU. I was president of the ERAU employee flying club for several years, which gave me some great experience in overseeing the operation and maintenance of a fleet of aircraft and users. Fun times.
Also during my time at ERAU, I took a sabbatical to Fort Lauderdale to get back into the airport management consulting business, working with LeighFisher, an internationally recognized firm, on the master planning of the Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport. In 2015, that work came to fruition, with a major runway expansion completed and a terminal expansion in progress. Fort Lauderdale was a blast and I still have many friends that urge me back to the beach when the weather gets cold in Columbus.
Prior to ERAU, I was in graduate school at UC Berkeley, where I earned my master’s and doctorate’s degrees. It was at Berkeley where I found my passion for aviation, learning in a civil engineering & transportation rich environment, and interning at LeighFisher.
The years prior to graduate school are ancient history, so in brief: I went to undergraduate school at The University at Buffalo, where after graduation I vowed never to live in a winter climate again (and thus I am in Columbus!). I grew up in the NYC suburbs on Long Island, and.. way back in the day.. was born in California.
I’ve had immense opportunities to travel the world over my career. Aviation is literally a great vehicle for global exploration.
I’ve also had a great opportunity to be a partner with my beautiful wife, Wendy, father to my daughter, Rachel. They make my life complete.
Thanks for reading.
