Tony O Dennis
Director of Graduate Student Recruitment and Retention
Recruited by President Elson Floyd to increase the number of women and minorities going into aviation careers, Dennis began his tenure at the WMU College of Aviation in 1999 as its Director of Women and Minority Recruitment. His dedication to the students is what created the foundation for the women and minority program. He reorganized the Women and Minority Scholarship from the WK Kellogg Foundation to allow for larger grants which helped students in a more significant way. The first scholarship recipient he recruited was Randall Rochon, alumni, first officer at United, and 2016 recipient of the College of Aviation Excellence in Diversity Award. Under his supervision, women and minority numbers increased significantly, rendering the CoA one of the largest programs in the country for the number of women and minorities. Additionally, Dennis helped establish the first collegiate aviation student organization in the nation dedicated to the outreach of women and minorities, MAAP (Multi-cultural Association of Aviation Professionals), serving as their first advisor.