Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) Dean of the School of Science, Aviation, Health, and Technology, Kuldeep Rawat, Ph.D., attended this year’s Annual HBCU Aviation Directors Summit on behalf of the university, alongside Department Chairperson Kevin Kupietz, Ph.D.
The three-day event, at Hampton University (HU), was an opportunity for university level aviation leaders to connect with others from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country and aviation industry professionals. Session and panel topics included accreditation, pilot hiring, safety, and airport operations.
Rawat participated in a panel that included aviation educators from Delaware State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, HU, Texas Southern, and Florida Memorial University. He and others shared their experiences, challenges, and goals in the effort to educate a new generation of aviation professionals.
“Being able to share the successes and intentions of our aviation program while gaining insight from other industry professionals and leaders was a great opportunity,” Rawat said.
Most recently, ECSU joined forces with Wake Tech in an Aviation and Public Safety Educational Partnership that included a memorandum of agreement. As a result of the partnership, ECSU will have its name on a specialized lab providing simulation instruction and training in the new Public Safety Simulation Complex at Wake Tech East. ECSU will also share a new drone pavilion at the site.
As a panelist, Rawat shared the university’s other successes with its aviation program, including having the most student majors in Viking Land, as well as how it handles assisting students with financial hurdles like Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification fees. In addition, both Rawat and Kupietz appeared for interviews with the FAA.
The 2024 summit is scheduled for November at ECSU.