Kristy Kiernan

Title
Associate Professor, College of Aviation; Program Coordinator, M.S. in Aviation Safety
Email
Department
Department of Aeronautics
College
College of Aviation

Areas of Expertise

aviation safety, human performance in complex systems, unmanned aircraft integration
Kristy Kiernan

Kristy Kiernan joined the College of Aviation in 2017. As the Associate Director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle, she leads the Center's efforts in research, academic programs, professional education, and consulting. In her position as the Program Coordinator for the Master of Science in Aviation Safety, she is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the graduate aviation safety program. Prior to this position, she served as the Curriculum Chair for the Graduate Studies department, and the Program Coordinator for the Master of Science in Unmanned Systems. Her current research projects include a NASA grant on In-Time Safety Management, examining new sources of data concerning the positive human contribution to aviation safety. Prior to joining Embry-Riddle, she flew Falcon 20s on search and rescue, drug interdiction, and law enforcement missions with the United States Coast Guard. While on active duty, she graduated from Aviation Safety Officer School, served as a Crew Resource Management curriculum developer, and as the Standardization Officer for the Falcon community. She is co-author of the UAS Pilots Code of Conduct, served on the steering committee for the AUVSI Trusted Operator Program, the steering committee for the ANSI UAS Standardization Collaborative, and as the co-chair for the University Aviation Association UAS committee. She is the lead developer for the World Economic Forum Drone Transformation Map, and is an expert contributor to Forbes.com in the area of aerospace and defense. She holds a current Airline Transport Pilot rating and a Remote Pilot certificate, and until recently, was an actively flying commercial pilot in the SR-22 and the TBM 850.

She lives in Alabama with her husband and four children. 

  • Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • M.A.S. - Master of Aeronautical Science in Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • B.S. - Bachelor of Science in Neural Sciences, Brown University
  • Remote Pilot - Federal Aviation Administration
  • Airline Transport Pilot - Federal Aviation Administration
  • Coast Guard Crew Resource Management Instructor - United States Coast Guard Aviation Training Center
  • Private Pilot - Federal Aviation Administration
2023, University Aviation Association Sorenson Award, 2023 College of Aviation Faculty of the Year, 2021 College of Aeronautics Researcher of the Year, 2020 Making a Difference Award for Team Aero, 2018 John K Lauber Safety Award