Dr. Stolzer is an experienced pilot and aviation safety expert. He joined the Embry‑Riddle faculty in 2008 and most recently served as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Doctoral Studies. His distinguished career as a professor, author, administrator, mentor and aviation authority spans 37 years. As dean, he is responsible for the academic and administrative oversight of the college.
Stolzer has accumulated over 8,000 hours of flight time in more than 40 makes and models of fixed-wing aircraft. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, a Certified Flight Instructor Certificate and an A&P mechanic's certificate, plus several professional certifications from the American Society for Quality and Project Management Institute. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Aviation Accreditation Board International for 18 years and chaired the Accreditation Committee for 10 years. Stolzer also served as a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award examiner.
His teaching and research interests include Safety Management Systems (SMS) and aviation safety programs such as Flight Operations Quality Assurance. He is the author of numerous journal and conference publications. He is the lead author of a prominent and successful book on SMS, now in its third edition, and editor of two other books on SMS. He is an active researcher and has served as principal investigator on several federally funded projects on aviation safety.
Stolzer’s many awards and recognitions include his election in 2014 as Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He has received the Meritorious Award from the College of the Ozarks for Distinguished Achievement, the Federal Aviation Administration Air Transportation Centers of Excellence Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award, and the Paul A. Whelan Award and President’s Award from the Aviation Accreditation Board International.
Stolzer holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Quality Systems from Indiana State University, a Master of Aeronautical Science from Embry‑Riddle and a bachelor's in aviation from College of the Ozarks.