June 18, 2013
Woods leads national student aviation fraternity
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Anthony J. Woods, a senior in aviation management at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is national student president of the fraternity for collegiate aviation students.
Woods, the son of Laurie and Frank Woods of Crystal Lake, said it’s an honor to lead the organization, Alpha Eta Rho, which is open to male and female students who have an interest in aviation. The organization was founded in 1929.
“Now, with the advent of social media, the fraternity has begun to unify, not just in the United States, but internationally as well. We’re working on starting up chapters in Britain and Australia, and I enjoy speaking to many different people from all over the globe who share the same enthusiasm for aviation as I do.”
Woods is a voting member on the organization’s national board of directors.
Woods’ selection came at the organization’s conference recently at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich. The fraternity has approximately 3,000 members with 38 active chapters in the United States.
The SIU Carbondale chapter, established in 1963, has 22 members.
Jeff Hayes, senior lecturer Aviation Management and Flight and SIU chapter faculty adviser, said SIU chapter members “work hard together promoting aviation and these young men and women are honored to have Anthony represent our SIU chapter on the national level.”
Woods’ appointment as national president is “another indication of the excellence of our aviation programs and our students,” said David A. NewMyer, chair of the Department of Aviation Management and Flight.
“Anthony is an excellent, well-spoken representative of SIU Aviation and we are all very proud of his achievement,” NewMyer said.