By Laren Kowalczyk ‘07

Bowling Green State University senior Cameron Pritts will graduate career-ready with more than a year of professional experience as a crew scheduler at the BG Flight Center, a unique opportunity available at one of the few universities in the country with an airport on its campus.

After earning her aviation management and operations degree during the Fall 2024 Commencement, Pritts will join NetJets — a global leader in private aviation that is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio — as a flight operations scheduling specialist.

The new role is similar to her position as a crew scheduling assistant manager at the BG Flight Center, providing her with a seamless transition into the workforce.

“BGSU faculty and staff in the aviation program truly care about your success and overall well-being. They want to help each student achieve their dream career, whether that’s becoming a pilot or working in aviation management,” Pritts said, reflecting on her academic journey and the hands-on experience she gained in college.

“They allow you to feel seen as a young adult entering this field. Regardless of where students aspire to work after graduation, BGSU faculty bring a wealth of knowledge from their decades of experience flying and in management that enriches our education and prepares us for fulfilling careers in aviation.”

BGSU is home to one of the largest aviation programs in Ohio and the country. The nationally recognized program continues to experience record enrollment growth, with a 34% increase in new students for Fall 2024.

In addition to answering the nationwide demand for pilots, BGSU supports aviation industry workforce needs by preparing students for the many diverse roles in aviation management and operations. Qualified graduates can find success as air traffic controllers, airport security managers, cargo and logistics operations, airline managers and other roles with high earning potential.

“Aviation management and operations is an incredibly dynamic degree path for students who are interested in critical support roles in aviation,” said Catherine Smith, interim director of the BGSU School of Aviation and chief flight instructor at the BG Flight Center.

“While becoming a pilot is often the first career that comes to mind when people consider aviation, there are hundreds of people behind the scenes with equally integral roles, ensuring the plane is safe, runways are clear and airports are being effectively managed.”

Aviation management and operations is one of two specializations offered as a minor or major in the BGSU aviation studies degree program in the School of Aviation. Within the specialization, students focus on the vital operations and businesses that support the global aviation industry.

Within the program, students learn from faculty members with years of aviation experience, both in the air and on the ground.

Pritts, originally from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, south of Pittsburgh, said the safety management course taught by Dr. Michael Ferguson, an aviation industry veteran who works in risk management, safety and business preparedness at Boeing, was profound.

“Dr. Ferguson’s industry experience added such a raw approach to the seriousness and efforts taken to keep pilots, passengers, maintenance personnel and others safe,” Pritts said. “That course solidified that I made the right choice in pursuing an aviation management and operations degree. He’s one of the most kind-hearted and inspiring aviation professors I have ever had.”