MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - Middle Tennessee State University is deepening its aviation ties with the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to create a steady pipeline of future aerospace professionals right here in Rutherford County.
PHOTO: Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney A. McPhee, left, and JoBeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy, utilities and aviation for the Bahamas, exchange signatures on an aerospace education agreement between the university and the commonwealth during a signing ceremony held Thursday, Aug. 13, in the MTSU Student Union Ballroom on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)
The Honorable JoBeth Coleby-Davis, Minister of Energy, Utilities and Aviation for The Bahamas, led a government and education delegation to the Murfreesboro campus to launch the PEARL Initiative. PEARL stands for Partnership in Education Excellence, Aviation Research and Leadership.
The initiative expands an existing agreement between MTSU and the Bahamian government. Prime Minister Phillip Davis’s administration is currently investing in expanding airport infrastructure across the 700-island nation. Through the partnership, MTSU and the University of The Bahamas will train future Bahamian pilots, aviation maintenance specialists, flight dispatchers, and airport facility managers.
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, a native of The Bahamas, and Coleby-Davis officially amended the partnership document during the visit. The PEARL initiative will launch next summer with the first-ever residential program on the Murfreesboro campus for Bahamian high school students interested in aerospace careers.
The expanded agreement establishes dual credit and dual enrollment opportunities for students at both university and pre-university levels. Bahamian university students will gain year-round access to MTSU online courses. MTSU faculty will also lead student cohorts to The Bahamas for short-format courses co-taught with local faculty, giving students direct pathways to formal degree enrollment at MTSU.
Before departing on Friday (August 14th), the delegation toured MTSU Aerospace facilities, checked on Bahamian students currently enrolled in flight training, and met with regional transportation leaders. The group visited Nashville International Airport, where Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority President and CEO Doug Kreulen welcomed the delegation to discuss ongoing regional growth.
Governed by the Middle Tennessee State University Board of Trustees, MTSU is an equal opportunity, non-racially identifiable educational institution that does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities.
With 20 full-time faculty members, over 100 flight instructors, and more than 1,400 students, MTSU Aerospace stands as one of the largest collegiate aviation programs in the country. Total aerospace enrollment across seven undergraduate concentrations and three graduate concentrations makes up roughly six percent of MTSU's total student population, drawing students from 32 states and 16 foreign countries to Murfreesboro.
