ARDI and U.S. Air Force Academy Cocktails
ARDI COCKTAILS AND CONVERSATION 2018 BFA
On Thursday, November 1st, ARDI: The Academic Excellence Foundation hosted their first ever Cocktails & Conversation event in New York City at the iconic Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The ARDI illustrious visiting professors and programs provide the cadets with real-world challenges and insights, exposing them to diverse viewpoints and ideas that enrich their world-class education.
ARDI COCKTAILS AND CONVERSATION 2018 BFA
The purpose of the event was to increase awareness of ARDI’s mission to enhance academic excellence at the United States Air Force Academy through the perpetual endowment of distinguished visiting professorships and support of other programs and initiatives that cover academic disciplines ranging from Arabic Studies and Economics to Professional Ethics and Space Systems Engineering. For more than 30 years, ARDI's ultimate goal is to build their endowment to provide an endowed ARDI professor in all 27 academic departments at the Academy.
Guests delighted in cocktails and passed bites as they had the opportunity to network with senior leadership from the United States Air Force Academy, ARDI executives and board members, and fellow supporters.
The evening also featured remarks by ARDI President, Mick Erdle, NYC Commissioner of Veteran Affairs, Brig. Gen. (ret) Loree Sutton, MD, and the honorable guests from the Academy.
Product donors for this event included Salute American Vodka, which supports American heroes through the sale of high-quality, American-made craft spirits, as well as Luminox, the notable Swiss high-performance watch brand.
All photos by BFA
About ARDI: The Academic Excellence Foundation:
Since its inception in 1984, ARDI has had one singular focus and mission. ARDI strives to support and fortify academic excellence at the United States Air Force Academy by providing perpetually endowed academic chairs.
ARDI solicits tax-exempt donations to endow distinguished visiting professorships honoring great military and civilian leaders, past and present, selected by the major donors. ARDI intends to establish an endowed chair in each USAFA academic department. ARDI currently contributes approximately $1,009,000 each year in indirect support to USAFA through the endowed chair program and ancillary academic activities.
ARDI was co-founded by Brig Gen Philip J. Erdle, USAF (Ret) (a former Vice Dean of the Faculty and Permanent Professor Emeritus) and Maj Gen William Lyon, USAF (Ret), in consultation with the Honorable Verne Orr, Secretary of the Air Force. ARDI is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the state of Colorado and headquartered in Colorado Springs.
For more information, please visit http://www.ardifoundation.org/.
