Matthew Martin Purdue Exponent
Aviation Center to Benefit Engineering and Technology Students
October 11, 2012
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  • By Matthew Martin

    Purdue’s aviation school will benefit from being chosen as a lead institution for a new Federal Aviation Administration center, according to a Purdue professor.

    William Crossley, an engineering professor, wrote in an email a new program will be housed in the new center. Crossley said the Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability will help showcase Purdue’s strengths in the aviation world.

    The program will be led by Purdue as well as by Ohio State University and Georgia Institute of Technology.

    “Serving as the lead institution for the center and performing research to support general aviation needs of the (Federal Aviation Administration) will extend the visibility and positive perception of Purdue in the general aviation community,” Crossley wrote.

    The center will lead research in general aviation safety issues, including airport technology, propulsion and structures flight safety, fire safety and weather.

    Crossley said the center will benefit students in the colleges of Technology and Engineering by offering research opportunities and potential employment opportunities.

    “Through (the program), there will be additional research opportunities for students interested in general aviation-related topics; that should be attractive for both graduate and undergraduate students in aviation technology and in engineering,” Crossley wrote.

    Chien-tsung Lu, an associate professor in the College of Technology, wrote in an email that the center will help create bonds between Purdue and its industrial partners.

    “The new center … will incorporate synergy from collegiate peers, government agencies, industry and trade organizations to conduct and complete critical (general aviation) research projects,” Lu said. “Thus, this center will be another academic pillar underpinning Purdue’s reputation.”

    Olivia Brino, a sophomore in the College of Technology, said she might be interested in the research opportunities offered by the center and said the new center will greatly benefit Purdue’s aviation program.

    “I know Purdue is one of the few FAA certified schools so I think it will make our school look more prestigious,” Brino said.

    http://www.purdueexponent.org/campus/article_51328494-79d2-598c-81e1-292c6a6a4079.html