Elizabeth City, N.C.— Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) has named season pilot and educator Titus Sanders as executive director of the new School of Aviation, effective Aug. 31. He also serves as a First Officer on the Boeing 777 for United Airlines and is a retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 of the United States Army.
Sanders will serve as the first executive director of the School of Aviation, created from ECSU’s recent academic restructuring, an initiative of its strategic plan, ASCEND 2030. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he has built a career spanning military aviation, industry leadership, and higher education, united by a consistent commitment to advancing opportunity in the aviation profession.
“Our vision for the new School of Aviation extends beyond the classroom, the campus, the state of North Carolina, and the globe,” said ECSU Chancellor S. Keith Hargrove. “The School of Aviation will educate the next generation of aviation professionals while also serving as a catalyst for workforce development and economic growth throughout northeastern North Carolina, the state, and the nation in meeting this employment demand. Expanding on being the largest student enrolled aviation program of any HBCU, Mr. Sanders brings the experience, relationships, and entrepreneurial leadership necessary to help us position ECSU to be a premier aviation program in the US.”
Sanders brought over 20 years of distinguished service to the U.S. Army, where he held positions of increasing responsibility as a pilot-in-command and organizational leader. Over the course of his career, he was qualified in the UH-60A/L/M, RC-12D/P/X, MC-12S/W, C-12V, and UC-35A/B aircraft, and completed six combat deployments across Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. At the time of his retirement in 2023, he had accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours, including 1,500 hours of combat flight time.
Alongside his military career, Sanders has been a longstanding advocate for aviation education and workforce development through the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), where he currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors. His prior leadership within the organization includes service as Secretary and Programs Chair of the Board of Directors, Midwest Regional Director, National ACE Academy Director, Pittsburgh ACE Academy Director, and Director of the Explore Aerospace Program. During his tenure as National ACE Academy Director, the program expanded from 25 to 43 academies nationwide, nearly doubling student capacity and establishing OBAP as the nation’s largest provider of FAA-endorsed ACE Academies. In 2020, he co-founded and led OBAP’s Explore Aerospace Program, a virtual initiative introducing aerospace careers to underserved students in grades 6 through 12.
Prior to joining ECSU, Sanders led the Department of Aviation Science at Tuskegee University, where his work centered on building institutional capacity and expanding access for the next generation of aviators. During his tenure, he launched the university’s Aviation Science B.S. program, which produced 22 new pilots in its inaugural year; developed and launched the university’s B.S. in Aviation Management program; established the Aviation Peer Mentorship initiative; and secured the university’s FAA Part 141 Provisional Pilot School Certification.
Sanders holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. He is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Aviation and Space Education at Oklahoma State University, where his research examines aviation workforce development within the African American community.
