Manoj Patankar: An Academic in Aviation

Manoj Patankar is a gifted educator and member of academia who strives to deliver progress in the overall understanding of aviation and the science behind it. He has made several accomplishments through his educational endeavors, such as serving in administrative and instruction roles in higher education. In addition, Patankar has made a considerable amount of contributions to his field through a vast collection of research and publications. While this professional has proven himself a gifted leader in a challenging field of education, he continues to strive to make an impact and encourage others to pursue new advances in aviation.

Brief History of Education

In 1989, Patankar earned a Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering at the Aeronautical Training Center based in his home of Mumbai, India. Following this initial accomplishment, Patankar knew that he had a passion for expanding his knowledge. That same year, he decided to pursue this dream by moving to the United States of America.

At this point, he chose to pursue higher education at Saint Louis University, located in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1992, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics with a major in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Just one year later, Patankar achieved his Master of Science in Aviation Safety at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Still anxious to obtain more knowledge, Patankar went on to obtain a Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He presented a dissertation entitled A Framework for the Design of a Voice-Activated, Intelligent and Hypermedia-based Aircraft Maintenance Manual. It was at this university that he reached the apex of his own educational pursuit when he earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Computing Technology in Education in 1997.

Professional History

Throughout the educational pursuits of Manoj Patankar, he was dedicated to advancing his professional abilities through numerous positions. Before leaving his home country of India, Patankar worked as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer at Air Worlds India, Ltd.; this served as his foray into the professional field of aviation.

As he studied at Saint Louis University,Patankar also filled the role of an Instructional Assistant for Aviation Electronics. Although he later continued his education at the University of Central Missouri, he still felt compelled to continue teaching. Between 1992 and 1993, Patankar was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Department of Power and Transportation at the University of Central Missouri.

For the next nine years of his career, Patankar served as an educator at the notable San Jose State University located in San Jose, California. With an in-depth knowledge of this subject, he successfully taught 15 different undergraduate courses in airframe, power plant, systems and avionics subjects. Although he began as an Assistant Professor of Aviation, he made a great achievement when he earned tenure and was promoted to an Associate Professor position in 1999.  Apart from his instructional roles, Patankar also utilized his position to conduct research and serve as a leader in many on-campus committees and professional organizations.

Staying on at San Jose State University for the next year, Patankar served as the Aviation Program Coordinator. Through this role, he managed a research budget of approximately $75,000 and worked toward strengthening the aviation and technology department. In addition to mentoring several students, Manoj Patankar focused on increasing recruitment efforts in order to increase the undergraduate enrollment in aviation.

In 2002, Patankar made the move back to Saint Louis University when he became the Graduate Program Coordinator of Aviation Science. Helping push his field of study further into modern education, Patankar was responsible for launching the country’s first graduate program in aviation safety management that was completely online. After earning tenure and managing several areas of program research, Patankar became a Chair in the University’s Department of Aviation Science. Throughout this role, he became increasingly connected to the development of aviation programs and research. With a prowess in this comprehensive experience in teaching, research and service, Patankar was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2006.

In addition to becoming a Professor at Saint Louis University, Patankar displayed a dedication to this institution by fulfilling strong leadership roles. In 2006, he was awarded the responsibility of serving as Dean for the Parks College of Engineering in Aviation and Technology. As Dean, Patankar oversaw five academic departments in addition to a flight school with 31 faculty, 40 staff members and 560 students.

In 2009, upwardly-mobile, Patankar became the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Chief Academic Office at Saint Louis University. Through this role, he fulfilled immense administrative and leadership duties, as he no longer focused on just the aviation and technology area of education, but many other schools found at Saint Louis University.

Manoj Patankar: A Respected Professional and Educator

While the many promotions and advanced education efforts pursed by Manoj Patankar are enough to demonstrate his overall prowess in his field, he has also won the attention and respect of his colleagues.  Throughout the years, he has achieved several honors and awards that have truly defined him as a genuinely gifted educator, leader and administrative professional.

Diamond Award Winner

The national authority of aviation in America, known as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is one group committed to creating excellence and safety in flight. As such, the FAA is committed to rewarding individuals who work towards these overall goals. In both 1997 and 1998, Patankar has earned the FAA Diamond Award of Excellence for his professional commitment to enhancing aviation abilities within the United States.

Sorenson Best Paper Award

In 2001, Patankar became a distinguished researcher and representative of the academic field of aviation when he received the Sorenson Best Paper Award under the University Aviation Association. Considered a high mark of achievement in the aviation community, the presenting organization, The Journal of Air Transportation, defines the recipients of this award to offer the “best literary and scholarly contributions to the field of air transportation.”

Other Awards

In addition to the above feats, Manoj Patankar is recognized for many other awards and honors regarding his academic and aviation career. For instance, in 2004, Patankar was the recipient of the Sorenson Award for Excellence in Aviation Research and Scholarship under the University Aviation Association. That same year, he gained recognition through the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Book Award, presented by the Association of Jesuit Schools and Colleges. During his time at Saint Louis University, Manoj Patankar also achieved Presidential Citation and a Grantwinner Award for Excellence in Research in 2004 and 2008, respectively.