Photo by Tim Fitzgerald, University Affairs
Taking flight at UNO
Kailey Dwyer wasn't considering
a career in aviation when someone suggested she take an undergraduate intro
class offered by the UNO Aviation Institute.
"I liked it so much," she
recalls, "I switched my major right away."
Dwyer is hoping to work in the
safety administration area of aviation when she receives her bachelor's degree
in May 2007. "A job as a safety inspector would be perfect," the Omahan says.
She is one of about 500 students
enrolled in the Aviation Institute, an arm of the School of Public
Administration within the College of Public Affairs and Community Service
(CPACS) at UNO.
That compares to just 50
students when the institute began in September 1990. Inspired by Don Smithey,
executive director of the Omaha Airport Authority, the institute was
established to provide aviation and aerospace research and education. Omaha
businessmen and co-founders Charles Durham, Walter Scott Jr. and Mike Harper
garnered support from the community to fund the first four years of the
program.
The institute, whose facilities,
classrooms and offices currently are housed in Allwine Hall and the former
Engineering Building (which will become the new home of CPACS in 2009), offers
nearly 50 courses, compared with only five courses its first year.
The institute gives students a
wealth of opportunities that stretch beyond the classroom to its Aviation
Resource Center (see sidebar) and Advanced Simulation Facility, which features
state-of-the-art Modular Flight Deck (MFD) simulators. Both opened in 2005.
Top tier program
Dr. Brent Bowen, director of the
institute, says the combination of experienced faculty and staff members, the
simulation facility and the resource center put the UNO Aviation Institute
"among the top tier of university aviation programs in the nation."
The institute offers a bachelor
of science degree in aviation with specialization in air transport
administration or professional flight. It also offers a full roster of graduate
courses for those seeking to obtain a master's of public administration degree
with a concentration in aviation administration. Many aviation students are
active in ROTC and other military programs.
Particularly attractive for
students, Bowen says, is the combination of educational opportunities, the
availability of scholarships and the low cost of tuition and flight training available
through the institute.
Students also benefit from
internships at many Omaha-area businesses, including the Jet Linx Aviation
Flight Operations Center, the Mutual of Omaha Corporate Flight Department, the
Omaha Airport Authority Communications Center, the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) and the Omaha Police Department Air Support Unit.
Networking opportunities are
available through three student groups: Alpha Eta Rho, the UNO chapter of a
coed fraternity for future aviation professionals; the Flying Mavericks Flight
Team, whose 15 members participate in regional and national competitions and
community events; and the Maverick chapter of Women in Aviation, a coed group
with a focus on community service.
In addition to teaching and
conducting research, the institute's faculty and staff often are called upon to
serve as experts on state and national aviation issues. The institute
disseminates its research findings by publishing the Journal of Air
Transportation and the Aviation Institute Monograph Series. Additionally, more
than 75 million people each year are exposed to the institute's widely
publicized airline quality ratings, which Bowen publishes in conjunction with
Wichita State University.
Smaller classes,
state-of-the-art equipment, affordability and the camaraderie between students
and faculty attracted Lucas Stritt to the institute.
"The institute offered the same
opportunities as some of the top aviation programs, but UNO proved quite a bit
more cost-effective," says Stritt, who received a bachelor's degree in aviation
in the spring. He is working as a technical assistant at the institute while
pursuing a master's degree at UNO.
"There are lots of great
opportunities for a motivated student to get involved," he says.
Sara Glathar, student services
specialist at the institute, says the cutting edge simulation facilities and
student interaction with faculty members impress prospective students and their
parents when they visit UNO.
"We can talk about our quality
classes and marvelous faculty all day," Glathar says, "but when an 18-year-old
sits in the MFD simulator and is surrounded by technology above and beyond
anything they had imagined, that really seals the deal. The simulation facility
is a huge recruitment tool that enables us to compete with any aviation program
in the country."
Adjulation for simulation
Scott Vlasek is the institute's
academic program coordinator and manager of technology. He says the MFD
simulator offers more features than any other aviation training device on the
market. It has a series of screens that wrap around the fiberglass cockpit and
can simulate up to 13 different aircraft.
"We're at the forefront in terms
of flight simulation technology training," he says, "and it's a standard we
want to continue to set for our students in the future."
CPACS Dean B.J. Reed says he is
proud of the Aviation Institute's "commitment to excellence."
"There's no better example than
the addition of the advanced simulator," Reed says. "This technology provides a
wonderful resource for students and for training outreach in the
community."
On the institute's wish list is
a jet simulator, equipment that could cost upwards of $200,000. In addition to
being an educational and research tool, Bowen says a jet simulator would
further the institute's role in the community, allowing the general public to
rent time on the equipment.
"We plan to continue to refine
our curriculum and expand our research and community outreach," he says, "but
our main goal overall is to stay on top of the latest technology."
Dwyer, who also serves as a
student assistant at the institute, says the combination of equipment and
affordability translates into value. "I think the Aviation Institute is a
hidden gem," she says, "one that more people should take advantage of."
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