Alumna Marisha Falk Announced as Next Driver of Embry-Riddle Race Car
Prescott, AZ., August 9, 2011
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and friends of the University, Chris and Elaine Larsen, announced that Embry-Riddle alumna Marisha Falk has been selected to drive for Larsen Motorsports on the Embry-Riddle Racing Team.
The Larsens and Embry-Riddle made the announcement that Marisha had been selected for the coveted position in part with a women’s initiative already in place at Embry-Riddle to help promote the diversity goals of the University’s 2015 Strategic Plan.
Earlier this year a major expansion of the Embry-Riddle High-Performance Vehicles Program was announced with a new Research & Development Center at the Daytona Beach Embry-Riddle Research & Technology Park supported by Elaine Larsen and her company. The Larsen Motorsports High-Performance Vehicles Research & Development Center will open in 2012.
The Larsens will position Falk and the newly formed race team to conduct operations from the Daytona Beach-based Research Center. Support for the team will come from students and faculty from a number of disciplines at the University using the race team as a test bed for projects, educational opportunities, and hands-on training. Industry professionals supplied by the Larsens will oversee operations at the facility.
Falk, 24, will now train to become part of an elite group of women licensed to drive turbine-powered race vehicles; there are currently only three women licensed in the world actively driving jet dragsters. Falk is a certified senior commercial multi-engine instrument flight instructor at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus. She has worked with the Larsen group for nearly four years in various roles, including crewing at the track, holding positions in the fabrication labs, and assisting with merchandise sales at the company.
Elaine Larsen said, “Through her hard work and dedication, Marisha has earned the right to drive for us and is worthy of this position.” Chris Larsen, co-owner and founder of the company, said, “Marisha is a bright, intelligent young woman who will do an excellent job representing the University. Earlier this year Elaine and I selected Marisha from a small list of prospects and offered her the position. We were thrilled when she accepted.”
Dr. John P. Johnson, Embry-Riddle president, commented, “I have known Marisha as a student and more recently as a flight instructor. Her professional motivation and enthusiasm will make her an excellent addition to the Larsen Race Team. I know she will continue to represent Embry-Riddle well and will make us all proud.”
When asked about the opportunity, Falk said, “I look forward to representing Embry-Riddle and Larsen Motorsports in the upcoming years. I’m eager to blend my aviation skills and knowledge with the motorsports industry. I am very thankful for this unique opportunity and the support provided by all.”
The Embry-Riddle race team is among the leading exhibition jet racing teams in North America. The Larsen teams currently sponsored by Embry-Riddle and Miller Welding normally sell out their schedules a year in advance and participate in an aggressive 35 to 40 events per season across North America.
For more information about the Larsen Motorsports Teams, please visit www.ElaineLarsen.com.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.
