Teacher and captain develops next generation of pilots

Deborah Donnelly-McLay, 45, of Boynton Beach, juggles her job as the Aviation teacher at Oxbridge Academy, West Palm Beach, while also maintaing her job as an airline captain for the United Parcel Service. It’s what Donnelly-McLay does — defy gravity — defy the constraints of being boxed in by a single job, or community outreach, or travel destination, she says. She volunteers with Rotary International, the YMCA, Women in Aviation; she donated a kidney to an anonymous recipient in October 2016 and travelled to Iceland the following month.

Why my job matters: My role is important to developing the next generation of pilots. Since I joined Oxbridge last year, the aviation program has doubled in size and increased female enrollment to 15 percent.

Resume

Experience: Prior to Oxbridge, I was a member of a research team at Harvard University focusing on education and involvement of females in the aviation sector and the environmental health of airline pilots. I also taught aeronautical science courses at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Education: Bachelor of Applied Science and Technology, Thomas Edison State University; Master of Science in Aeronautics, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University; Master of Liberal Arts, Harvard University; Doctorate of Education, Nova Southeastern University.

Awards: UPS Pilot of the Year and Continental Airlines’ Instructor of the Year.

Myth-busting: Most people don’t realize that there are many different career paths in aviation, ranging from air traffic controllers to engineers to instructors. Also, airline pilots don’t always have to be away from home for long stretches.

Typical day: I teach a first- and second-year program. Additionally, I continue to fly to Central and South America for the United Parcel Service, where I have worked as a commercial pilot for 19 years.

What’s new: The growth of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilots.

DONNELLY-MCLAY