Oklahoma State University (OSU) announced the creation of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE) last week. Aimed at fostering growth in the aerospace industry, OSU says the institute will support partnerships between the university, commercial, military and government agencies with tools including rapid prototyping platforms, a high-performance computational center, research engineers and graduate researchers and use of an airfield for aerospace testing. OAIRE will also offer science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs for K-12 students and teachers.
“The Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education will be at the forefront of innovation in the aerospace realm, and I commend Oklahoma State University for their successful programs and continued partnerships with the state,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Science and Innovation Elizabeth Pollard. “Prominent research and development activity related to aerospace has been underway for decades at OSU and with their leadership in this dynamic industry, Oklahoma will be well-positioned to lead the ever-evolving aerospace frontier.”
In addition to a long-standing partnership with NASA, OSU already runs STEM camps for younger students, seeing more than 1,500 attend this summer alone. The university reports that enrollment in its aerospace engineering program has grown 62 percent over the last 10 years. Originally called Oklahoma A&M College, OSU has been providing flight training since the opening of its Civilian Pilot Training program in 1935.
