Manoj Patankar is a respected figure in the academic and aviation worlds, as he has remained committed to both professional fields since a young age. Living in his home country of India, Patankar earned his Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering in 1989 at the Aeronautical Training Center located in Mumbai. This initial step in his education would not only expose him to the value of academics, but would serve as inspiration to his continuing commitment to increase knowledge, safety and science in the aviation industry.

Although aircraft technology and the airline industry have continued to transform throughout the years, Patankar has maintained a relevant focus on the issues that matter most—aviation education and safety. With such a commitment, Patankar has had a variety of professional and educational experiences which have allowed him to approach this wide-encompassing subject from many different angles.

A Professional in Aviation

Although Manoj Patankar has made a great impact throughout his career, most notably as an academic leader and educator, he notes that it has also remained important that he have a first-hand understanding of the actual aviation workplace. During the early years of his career, Patankar gained mechanical experience up close and personal as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer at Air Works India, Ltd., in what is now Mumbai, India. From 1986 to 1989, Patankar utilized this position to gain invaluable hands-on experience as he conducted maintenance on aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3, DeHavilland DHC-6, Hughes 369, Avro HS-748, King Air C-90 and the Cessna 150 Aerobat.

In order to gain a full understanding of how the mechanics of an aircraft are used in terms of actual application, Patankar has since become a licensed pilot. Having gained first-hand professional insight as an aircraft mechanic on land and as a pilot in the air, Patankar is also noted for his determination to conquer another terrain—the ocean. Today, he is both a NAUI and PADI certified SCUBA diver.

As a respected member of the aviation industry, Manoj has also displayed his competence by joining by becoming a member of several notable professional organizations. In addition to belonging to several technical organizations, Patankar is a member of:

• The Board of Directors of the Professional Aviation Board of Certification
• The Board of Directors of the Higher Education Consortium TV Network
• The Aeronautical Society of India

A Student in Aviation

Just as Patankar was dedicated to gaining hands-on experience through professional experiences and achievements as a pilot and aircraft mechanic, he has also remained committed to learning the finer details of this industry and its engineering. Although it has proven a long road, Patankar has reached great heights through his academic endeavours. After completing his education at the Aeronautical Training Center in Mumbai, India, he decided to make the move out west to the United States of America, where he continued to excel in academics.

Upon his arrival in the United States, Patankar enrolled as an undergraduate at Saint Louis University, based in St. Louis, Missouri. It was at this higher education institution that he earned his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics—with a major in Aircraft Maintenance—in 1992. Although still a relatively early phase in his educational career, this experience introduced Manoj Patankar to the opportunities available at Saint Louis University—an academic institution that he would later return to as an educational leader.

Following his achievements at Saint Louis University, Patankar strived to move forward in his educational pursuits. Doing so, he enrolled at the University of Central Missouri located in Warrensburg, Missouri. Just a year after he had earned his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics, Patankar graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Master of Science in Aviation Safety.

This Master’s Degree was not the end of the road in terms of Patankar’s educational journey, as he later chose to study at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Really delving into his area of interest, Patankar used this academic opportunity to present a dissertation entitled A Framework for the Design of a Voice-Activated, Intelligent and Hypermedia-based Aircraft Maintenance Manual. In 1997, this constant dedication earned Patankar his Doctor of Philosophy in Computing Technology in Education.

Manoj Patankar: An Educator in Aviation

Having gained such an extensive wealth of knowledge through his own time as a student, Manoj Patankar became inspired to also pursue efforts to teach others. As he earned his Bachelor of Science at Saint Louis University, Patankar gained his first exposure teaching as an Instructional Assistant in Aviation Electronics. After this initial experience, Patankar would move on to become a Graduate Teaching Assistant within the Department of Power and Transportation at his alma mater, University of Central Missouri.

For seven years, between 1993 and 2001, Patankar became dedicated to academic instruction as he took on teaching positions at the notable San Jose University located in Northern California. Although he started off his career at San Jose University as an Assistant Professor of Aviation, Patankar soon advanced when he was promoted to the title of Associate Professor when he earned tenure in 1999.  His constant efforts to expand student’s exposure to aviation and related subject was clearly shown through his ability to properly instruct more than 15 undergraduate courses that dealt with diverse subjects such as avionics, airframes and power plants.

Having gained experience as an academic provider, Patankar became quite familiar with the field of aviation, and the nature of the university environment in general. This exposure led him to take on prominent administrative roles in addition to his efforts as an instructor. After he was titled Associate Professor at San Jose University, Patankar accepted the position as the university’s Aviation Program Coordinator. While he already offered first-hand experience in the development of educational courses, Patankar also effectively adopted the responsibilities of budget management and organizing recruitment efforts.

Return to Saint Louis University

Taking on many of the same responsibilities, Manoj Patankar soon returned to his alma mater of Saint Louis University to serve as the Graduate Program Coordinator of Aviation Science. He made several accomplishments under this role, including the launch of the nation’s first completely online graduate program in aviation safety management. After becoming a Professor and earning tenure at the university, Patankar became the Dean of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology and soon transitioned into his comprehensive role as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer. Throughout his time at Saint Louis University, Manoj Patankar has made several notable accomplishments, which include the founding of one of only two of the country’s PhD programs in Aviation.