Title: Associate Dean School of Unmanned Technology
Highest degree and school: MS, Teaching, St. Thomas Aquinas College; MA, National Security, American Military University; MS (equivalent), Flight Test Engineering, USAF Test Pilot School
Teaching at SDI since: 2022
Fred Bivetto is the Associate Dean of the School of Unmanned Technology. After serving 21 years in the US Air Force (USAF) as a combat and experimental flight test aviator, Fred came to SDI to continue to apply his passion for instruction and training in aviation technology at what he calls a “well-run organization with a great mission and culture.” As an educator, Fred enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with students and seeing direct results through education and career opportunities realized. He gravitated toward the field of aviation because “Every day is different – the challenge of learning something new each day about using your aircraft/system in an operational environment is very rewarding.”
Fred served as the Chief of Curriculum Standards at the USAF Test Pilot School and was the institution’s first Chief UAS Test Pilot. He holds a Master of Science in Teaching from St.Thomas Aquinas College, a Master of Arts in National Security from American Military University, a Master of Science equivalent in Flight Test Engineering and is a current FAA Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI). He is currently finishing a Master’s in Space Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, and strives to keep up on the latest developments, technology and policy in regards to the integration of drones in the national airspace (specifically BVLOS flight). He says his idea of a perfect day would be “flying, learning, teaching and accomplishing the mission/learning objectives safely.”