NORMAN, OKLA. — Mary Aldridge has been named assistant director of the School of Aviation at the University of Oklahoma.
Mary Aldridge, who has worked at the University almost continuously since 1994, was named assistant director of the School of Aviation earlier this summer and stepped into the position on July 1.
On top of her years of experience at the University, Aldridge will bring a robust history of serving students with her to the position of assistant director. Aldridge worked in the School of Aviation as an advisor for five years and advised in several other departments before joining the School.
Aldridge received her bachelor’s degree in business education and her master’s in public administration from Northern Michigan University.
One of the big differences in this position, she says, is changing from such a student-facing position to a non-student facing position. “Because I’ve been in an advising a capacity for so long at OU, I’m interesting to see who I’m going to be [as Assistant Director],” said Aldridge. “I’ve always been in student services. Though the I don’t think of the assistant director position as not being in student services. Everything at OU is student services.”
And to continue serving students to the best of its ability, the School of Aviation is scheduled to receive nine new aircraft in December of this year as part of a process to replace the aging fleet and increase the number of aircraft available to a growing student population.
On top of her administrative work, Aldridge will be co-teaching a spring aviation course in 2024.
Aldridge describes the School itself and the field of aviation as a whole as being filled with wonderful people. On the first weekend she worked in the School, the airport hosted an Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association fly-in event. “Tons of people all over the country come for these fly-ins. And that was my first introduction to aviation. Everyone there was so enthusiastic.”
As an outsider looking in, Aldridge says one thing she has noticed about the aviation community is the incredible attention paid to safety. “Safety is such a priority. They don’t just talk the talk, they walk they walk. It’s very encouraging to see.”
By Kathryn Gebauer
Article Published: Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023
