Western Michigan University is a comprehensive public research university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1903 as a training institution for teachers, the university now has 7 degree-granting colleges, more than 150 undergraduate degree options, and close to 18,000 enrolled students. One of those degree-granting colleges is the College of Aviation. Founded in 1939, the College of Aviation now offers three different programs of study; aviation flight science trains future pilots, aviation management and operations trains students to become business leaders in the aviation industry, and aviation technical operations which deals in A&P mechanic training.
Value of Western Michigan University’s AUVSI Membership
In a recent discussion with Faculty Specialist Kyle Jehnzen, Western Michigan University appropriately focused on supporting students and visibility for their new UAS program as the primary reasons for their AUVSI membership.
“We are an institution that aims to create a very competitive applicant in the job market,” Jehnzen added. “We do so through as much hands-on experience as possible. Through AUVSI membership, we hope to gain more experiences for our students and highlight our research capabilities.”
News on the Horizon
Recently, the team at Western Michigan University provided a deep-dive into their curriculum design and the various career paths that students can follow to leverage their experience to find prompt employment. For further details on the College of Aviation’s program, including student profiles and geospatial research applications, click here for Volume 1 of the 2024 AUVSI’s Uncrewed Insights publication.
Industry Challenges
As the WMU College of Aviation prepares students to operate under the existing regulations, they see standardization as a pain point in the industry.
“We, as a College of Aviation, are used to operating within the guidelines set forth by the FAA. As a couple of examples: ACS that leads to the issuance of a pilot certificate; 141 and 142 training organizations that certify training institutions; Part 23 and 25 that dictate certification of aircraft. Other than Part 107, we haven’t seen much regulatory progress in the way of standardizing operators and manufacturers,” Jehnzen emphasized.
Western Michigan University’s Role in the Industry’s Future
The faculty at Western Michigan University is quite literally shaping the future of uncrewed systems by providing relevant, thorough training to the future players in this space.
“As an institution that is very good at training operators, mechanics, managers, pilots, and safety regulators we are primed to train this next group of aviation leaders as the regulations dictate,” said Jehnzen. “Through industry, community, and corporate partnerships we have the resources to begin training, what could be, the first generation that started their careers in the UAS industry.”
For more information
Visit https://wmich.edu/ or https://wmich.edu/aviation or contact Kyle Jehnzen, kyle.d.jehnzen@wmich.edu.