"My five years at Purdue, four years as an undergraduate and a year in graduate school, were filled with academic challenges and teaching excellence. I couldn’t have picked a better institution. History has proven that my education at Purdue has served my career very well.”
Douglas A. Joyce’s career spanned 40 years, including 27 on active duty in the United States Air Force with two tours in Thailand during the Vietnam War and 13 years as an innovative college educator and aviator.
During his career with the Air Force, Joyce held a variety of roles and flew and tested a variety of aircraft before retiring as a Colonel in 1994. Early in his career, he served as a pilot and instructor in air defense and tactical fighter squadrons in the U.S. and Thailand that included 283 combat missions flying an F-4 Phantom. Joyce was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by the Air Force three times during his two combat tours.
After graduating from the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in 1975, Joyce spent three years as a test pilot at Eglin Air Force Base. He tested developmental weapons systems and armament and was the Chief Development Test Project Pilot for the EF-111. He was the first Air Force test pilot to fly that prototype aircraft.
In his final assignment, Joyce served as Vice Commander of a wing-size test organization in Nevada, a highly classified unit that was responsible for testing some of the nation’s highest priority weapon systems.
Upon retirement from the Air Force, Joyce was hired as the Director of Flight Operations for Daniel Webster College. He accepted an appointment to a faculty position in 2004. His expertise was crucial to establishing an aerospace engineering program and gaining accreditation.
Joyce earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue. He was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and earned his pilot’s wings in 1969.
Class of 2020 OAE feature series: Douglas Joyce