Virginia Colleges receive nearly $1 million for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Classes
College students in the state of Virginia will soon be able to take classes on drone technology thanks to a major announcement on Wednesday.
The National Science Foundation is awarding $899,477 to the Old Dominion University Foundation to help create courses and provide training to students at several Virginia colleges in the field of unmanned aircraft systems, specifically in the areas of geospatial data acquisition, analysis, and exploration. The money will also cover the teaching and training of faculty members to help with their development, as well as helping with precollege activities to highlight opportunities within the field.
Virginia senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced the initiative through a joint press release. They both expressed great enthusiasm for the new initiative and the future of the industry as a whole.
“Unmanned aircraft systems are becoming increasingly important in many industries, and have the potential to impact all sectors of the U.S. economy,” Warner said in the press release. “In my work on the Governor’s Unmanned Systems Commission, a key point of discussion has been that Virginia can set itself apart from its competition by creating a workforce pipeline of well-trained operators and researchers. This funding will make it easier for Virginia students to gain the skills necessary to fill that need.”
Sen. Kaine said, “Virginia has already seen the remarkable impacts of UAS technology, such as delivering critical medical supplies to communities in remote areas of the Commonwealth. Today’s funding will fuel breakthrough research and innovation that will position Virginia as a leader and innovator in UAS technology for the future.”
Thomas Nelson Community College, the Virginia Community College System, southwest Virginia’s Mountain Empire Community College, Virginia Tech, and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium will all receive money to create the new curriculum.
