The Capstone program office recently organized a STEM-focused tour of the Aeronautical Center for Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) STEM faculty members, department heads, and other FAA and OSU Capstone program stakeholders. The tour’s intentions were to strengthen the workforce pipeline, increase interest and awareness of the Center’s activities, and foster greater collaboration with the university.
The tour began at the Security Command Center, where the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center’s (MMAC) Chief of Staff, Kim Sheppard, provided an overview and video presentation highlighting the Center’s significance. This familiarity tour also discussed the FAA’s need to hire engineers for computer architecture, radar, embedded systems, and electrical and computer engineering jobs. This included a thorough outline of the FAA Academy’s role at the Aeronautical Center; provided information about the National Airspace System; a tour of the Enterprise Services Center (ESC) Data Center and the vital services they provide; an in-depth look at the critical duties of AJW-14’s Radar and Surveillance Team; and a briefing on the numerous activities conducted at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). Greg Morgan, Human Resources Regional Services Division Director, provided his expertise by fielding questions about student hiring paths, including direct and expedited hiring authorities that help speed up the decision-making process when a critical hiring need or severe shortage of candidates exists.
OSU is working on several Industrial Engineering and Management Information Systems Capstone projects at the MMAC. These projects include a Human Factors research project hosted by CAMI, a Tech Ops workforce planning project sponsored by AJI-220, a data analysis dashboard project for the Instrument Flight Procedures group (AJV-A4), and a course scheduling solution for AMA-200’s Regulatory Standards Division. We sincerely appreciate the participation of every Capstone volunteer at the MMAC, as this program would not be successful without our generous volunteers!
The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center Capstone outreach effort is dedicated to addressing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) workforce shortage and inspiring college students to explore careers in the aerospace industry. This mission remains central to the future of the Capstone Program.
If your organization is interested in developing a Capstone project to explore innovative business solutions and engage with university students, please get in touch with Edward Drake. This is an excellent opportunity to help shape our future workforce.
