For generations, Kent State University has prepared accomplished pilots who have distinguished themselves across the aviation industry. Their careers are part of a proud aviation legacy built on preparation, professionalism and the pilots who came before them.
For the past five years, the Pilot Pinning Ceremony has brought that connection between generations to life, recognizing students as they reach important milestones in their aviation education.
The opened this year's ceremony with a nine-ship formation passing low over the runway at as students, alumni, families and friends gathered below.
It was a fitting start to the Sept. 10 ceremony, an evening that honored the history of the profession while celebrating its future. , ‘04, of , and a graduate of Kent State’s School of Media and Journalism, served as emcee. The College of Aeronautics and Engineering recognized students who earned their Private Pilot Certificate or completed their first Kent State flight course, as well as students who earned their Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) certificate, marking their transition from student to mentor.
The ceremony fell one day before the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The anniversary shaped much of the evening, from a remembrance table set for eight pilots who never came home to two Kent State alumni who stood before the next generation and shared firsthand accounts of the day that reshaped commercial aviation.
A Legacy Carried Forward
Kent State President Todd Diacon opened the evening reflecting on the university's long connection to aviation. Diacon shared a tradition familiar to anyone who has heard him speak about the program: When he travels commercially, he wears a Kent State hat and checks to see whether the pilots in the flight deck are fellow Golden Flashes.
William Colleran, ’04, a first officer, reflected on the eight pilots who were at the controls of the four aircraft hijacked that day and the responsibility each generation of aviators carries forward. Colleran reminded the students that aviation is a profession entrusted temporarily to each generation before it is passed to the next.
“Step forward. Take responsibility. Trust your training,” Colleran told the students before welcoming them as Kent State pilots.
Remembering 9/11 Through the Aviation Community
The heart of the evening belonged to two members of the Class of 1988, who offered students a firsthand account of the day that reshaped commercial aviation and perspectives shaped by the 25 years that followed.
Mike Zenobi, a United Airlines Airbus captain and line check pilot and U.S. Air Force veteran, was flying a Columbus turnaround out of Chicago O'Hare that morning, bound that night for a New York layover. His aircraft was still taxiing to the gate in Columbus when air traffic control grounded anyone headed into New York airspace. He described the uncertainty of the day, the unprecedented silence that followed the shutdown of U.S. airspace and the support aviation professionals provided one another as crews and passengers were stranded across the country.
“I won't forget the way this tragedy brought us together,” Zenobi said. “I won’t forget how we took a mighty punch and got back up, dusted ourselves off, and went about rebuilding our security and the airline industry.”
JD DeBoskey, an captain, traced his own aviation career back to Kent State Airport, where he worked on the line crew as a student and earned his private, commercial, instrument and flight instructor certificates. He went on to serve as a U.S. Air Force C-130 pilot before joining American Airlines.
On the morning of Sept. 11, DeBoskey was in Dallas for Boeing 737 training. After learning of the attacks, he went to American's operations center and assisted as aircraft across the country were directed to land. He described relaying instructions by radio to a 767 captain flying at 36,000 feet over Indianapolis, who brought her aircraft safely to the ground in 18 minutes.
He lost four fellow pilots that day, a loss he still carries. For DeBoskey, the experience reinforced lessons about professionalism and character that began years earlier with his instructors at Kent State.
"They taught us not only how to fly airplanes under pressure," DeBoskey said, "but how to be the people that could be relied upon, and have the character and fortitude to stand up and be a professional in good times and in hard times."
Honoring Service to Kent State Aviation
John Sankovic, interim dean of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering turned the evening from reflection to recognition, beginning with the presentation of the Dean’s Wings. This half-wing draws on an aviation tradition in which it represents a non-flying support role. The Dean’s Wings recognizes individuals whose leadership, service and support have made a significant and lasting contribution to Kent State’s Professional Pilot program.
This year’s recipients were Dave Poluga, Kent State University Airport manager, and Lawrence Epps, director of student success for the College of Aeronautics and Engineering.
Poluga was recognized for his leadership and longtime commitment to the Kent State University Airport. His work has helped transform the airport from operations once housed in trailers to the facilities and infrastructure supporting today’s students and flight operations. He also continues to support signature events that connect the airport with the university and surrounding community.
Epps received recognition for his commitment to helping students navigate challenges, connect with resources and remain on track toward their academic and career goals. His work is particularly important for Professional Pilot students as they balance the demands of academics and flight training.
Together, their recognition demonstrates that the development of a Kent State pilot extends well beyond the flight deck. It takes a community of people committed to creating the environment, opportunities and support students need to succeed.
Passing the Wings to the Next Generation
That community took center stage as Brian Neff, assistant dean of flight and operations, led the presentation of student wings.
Alumni and aviation professionals joined students on stage to recognize the milestones they had worked to achieve. For some families, the ceremony represented multiple generations of Kent State aviation.
Certified Flight Instructor Joshua Hummer received his wings from his cousin, Matthew Brait, ’94, a United Airlines pilot who graduated before the Pilot Pinning Ceremony tradition began and had never received Kent State wings of his own. The two exchanged wings on stage, each marking the milestone for the first time.
Another family brought three Kent State pilots to the stage together. Colin Kovach received his CFI wings from his father, Pete Kovach, ’89, a captain, and his brother, Peter Kovach, ’22, a airship pilot.
In all, approximately 75 students received wings during the ceremony, with nearly 35 alumni returning to celebrate their achievements and help welcome the next generation into the profession.
A Community Connected by Its Wings
Twenty-five years after the day that changed their profession, the next generation of Kent State pilots left with wings of their own and a deeper understanding of the responsibility that comes with wearing them.
The Pilot Pinning Ceremony celebrates a milestone, but the wings represent something larger. They connect students to generations of Kent State pilots who came before them and to a future they are now prepared to help shape.
