Ready to Soar? Score Your Aerospace and Aviation Education in Dayton Region

University of Dayton School of Engineering

With a rich history deeply intertwined with aviation innovation, Dayton has rightly become a center of excellence in the aerospace sector, which is why a highly skilled workforce is essential to the region’s economic vitality. 

Fortunately, colleges and universities across the region – including Clark State College, the University of Dayton and Sinclair Community College – continue to roll out innovative programs and state-of-the-art facilities to ensure students are equipped to meet the evolving demands of the future by providing a top-notch aerospace and aviation education in Dayton and the surrounding communities. 

Head Start Model

Clark State College in Springfield is helping create a pathway to the advanced air mobility industry, beginning with middle schoolers. The college hosts the Global Impact STEM Academy (GISA), a 30,000-square-foot facility for students from sixth grade to senior year, that offers new courses in aerospace and aviation technology. 

“Clark State’s partnership with the Global Impact STEM Academy enables us to collaborate at a deeper level to assure that we are building the workforce that is needed to support the advanced air mobility industry,” says Toni Overholser, vice president of advancement for Clark State College. 

In 2023, 54 students completed their associate degree at Clark State before graduating from high school. 

“GISA students have access to our Advanced Manufacturing Center, with state-of-the-art equipment including lasers, robotics and additive manufacturing equipment as well as unmanned aerial systems,” Overholser says. “Exposing students to these career opportunities at the high-school level means that they can quickly gain these in-demand skills, enter the workforce sooner and stay in our region.” 

Jeff Adkins

Tech-Driven Training 

Sinclair Community College in Dayton recently unveiled its cutting-edge Aviation Maintenance Training Facility. Located in a renovated hangar at the Dayton International Airport, the facility features classrooms and lab spaces equipped with the latest technology. 

“The continued successful growth of the Dayton region depends on access to a high-quality and well-trained workforce for in-demand careers. Sinclair’s new Aviation Maintenance Training Facility will empower our students with the skills and knowledge they need for success in the aviation industry,” says Steven Johnson, president and CEO of Sinclair Community College. 

The college’s aviation technology department offers 19 degree and certificate programs in areas that include aviation maintenance and unmanned aerial systems. Graduates of the maintenance technology program can earn upwards of $70,000 per year, which is good for both the region’s economy and quality of life. 

“For more than 100 years, Sinclair has remained true to its mission of finding the need and endeavoring to meet it by providing quality, affordable education that prepares students with the skills they need for rewarding, in-demand careers,” says Kathleen Cleary, senior vice president of workforce solutions for Sinclair Community College. “Sinclair Community College consistently works with employers and listens to their needs so that we can adjust and expand our programs to meet those needs.” 

Stimulating Studies

Gül Kremer, dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Dayton, says with an influx of new and expanding tech-based companies – including Joby Aviation, Intel and Honda – the university’s curriculum and facilities have evolved to meet workforce needs, particularly in the aviation and aerospace industries. For example, the university’s Merlin Flight Simulator Lab gives students hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for successful careers in aviation.

“Students not only solve problems using computer simulations but also see the implications physically using this simulator,” Kremer says. “It’s beyond just being able to adjust things on a piece of paper or the computer. It allows students to really experience it physically, and I think it provides a deeper learning experience.” 

Kremer points out that the university’s robust internship and apprenticeship program is another way that students receive the skills they need to enter the workforce after graduation, and the GE Aviation Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center (EPISCenter) allows graduate students to work on the designing and testing of aviation electrical systems alongside GE Aviation engineering teams.

“In the past four years, students have completed 165 internships in this area, and 41 students have secured positions in aviation engineering,” Kremer says.

Courtesy of SGH

A New Era of Air Transportation

The inauguration of the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) in Springfield is poised to push the Dayton region to the center of a rapidly evolving Advanced Air Mobility (AMM) industry. 

AAM heralds a new era of air transportation, employing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to facilitate the seamless movement of people and cargo across locations currently underserved by conventional surface transportation or traditional aviation modes.

The NAAMCE serves as an incubator for startups and seasoned companies to conduct research, test capabilities and fly in the Beyond Visual Line of Sight airspace. The Ohio Department of Transportation Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Center is also operating out of the facility.

“As aircraft start to come off the assembly lines, the infrastructure required to ensure they can operate within the regulations will be crucial to ensuring success, and that success will not be possible without collaboration between companies that are operating in their spectrum,” says Ted Angel, director of projects and business development for aerospace and defense at the Dayton Development Coalition.

Another benefit of the NAAMCE is that it allows companies to work more closely with the Air Force Research Laboratory and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB).

“Aviation and aerospace play a vital role in Dayton and Clark County, which are anchored by WPAFB and Springfield Air National Guard Base (SANG). These anchors play a critical role in the attraction, expansion and retention of aviation and aerospace industry partners who service the nation’s missions,” Angel says. “Aviation and aerospace-related industries make up a large portion of the economic footprint in the Dayton region, and there are no signs of it slowing down.”