Top executives from the Oneworld Alliance came to Vaughn on September 17 for a tour of the campus, and to speak to students about the organization. Prior to the panel discussion, President DeVivo showed the group Vaughn’s unique laboratories including the flight simulators, the air traffic control lab, the hangar and the viewing Tower. 

Elvira Pereyaslov ’26, an airline management student, and president of the American Association of Airport Executives student chapter, led the Q&A session in the main lobby. The Oneworld panel included Chief Executive Officer Nathaniel Pieper, Vice President of Customer Experience and Airports Gerhard Girkinger, Vice President of Finance and Administration Nick Melfi and Vice President of Marketing and Communications Chris Singley.  

The panel members spoke about their mission to provide a platform where the carriers in their organization can easily provide customer benefits. They also discussed the challenges and rewards that come with 15 airlines working together. While each individual company often has its own goals, the executives emphasized the importance of compromise and focusing on the collective good.  

Additionally, the speakers described their career paths, which did not necessarily have a direct route to their current roles, but they noted how they all shared a passion for aviation. They emphasized the importance of learning all aspects of the business and exploring the different areas because you never know what opportunities may arise.  

“Find something that you think is really cool and that you’re enthusiastic about,” said Pieper. “You’re going to go the extra mile if you find something that you love.”