From sun-drenched South Florida to the classrooms and labs of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Peter Vosbury (’69) embodies how education transforms lives. By creating an endowed scholarship, he and his wife Linda ensure future students can follow in his aviation footsteps.

“From 1976 to 2000, I taught in the Aviation Maintenance Science program, and from 2000 to 2020, I taught in the Aeronautical Science program. Within 10 years of starting my teaching career at Embry-Riddle, I was promoted to full professor with tenure. I retired as a professor emeritus in 2020,” Vosbury shares.

Although he is no longer in the classroom—or what is now the Peter Vosbury Turbine Engine Lab—he continues to influence students as a textbook author and supporter of the lab.

Technician Turns Teacher

Vosbury credits his stepfather, a Pan Am executive, for sparking his early interest in aviation. “I remember telling other kids about airplanes, explaining how things worked, though I may have made up the details,” he laughs.

After a brief stint at Rollins College, Vosbury transferred to Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, earning his A&P mechanic certification in 1969. During the Vietnam War, he joined the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Machinist Mate Jet, serving aboard the USS Forrestal, where he supervised the squadron turbine engine shop and trained airmen—a role that revealed his passion for teaching.

“The GI Bill allowed me to add teaching credentials to my mechanical expertise,” he says. Vosbury earned degrees in Education from the University of Central Florida and returned to Embry-Riddle in 1976 to teach in the Aviation Maintenance Technology Department.

A Legacy of Giving Back

Throughout their long association with Embry-Riddle, the Vosburys’ desire to give back grew stronger. “We have no children to inherit our estate, so we knew we wanted to use our assets to make a meaningful difference,” Vosbury says.

Their decision to create the Peter & Linda Vosbury Endowed Scholarship was driven by their shared belief in the power of education to open doors. “We know firsthand how challenging it can be to afford a private university,” Vosbury adds. “By establishing this scholarship, we’re helping future generations of students overcome those financial barriers.”

Three annual scholarships will be awarded to U.S. citizens enrolled as full-time undergraduates at the Daytona Beach Campus. One scholarship will support an Aviation Maintenance Science major, another will go to an Aeronautical Science major, and the third will be awarded to a student-athlete.

Thanks to the Vosburys, even more students will benefit from a boost to their lives and careers.