ECSU Aviation Hosts Bowie State University Faculty for Possible Future Partnerships

ECSU hosted representatives from Bowie State University Tuesday, Nov. 12. Left to right, Dr. Rosemary Shumba, Dr. Joan Langdon, Dr. Kuldeep Rawat, and Dr. George Acquaah discuss ECSU’s drone program during a tour of the aviation science labs.

Elizabeth City State University’s aviation program is fast being recognized for its excellence across the country. So when Bowie State University’s dean of the college of arts and sciences, Dr. George Acquaah, began looking for guidance on how to incorporate drone technology into his computer science curriculum, he looked to ECSU.

“I like the mission of your program,” said Dr. Acquaah. “You guys can give us guidance.”

Dr. Acquaah and two Bowie State faculty joined ECSU’s dean of the school of science, aviation, health and technology, Dr. Kuldeep Rawat, for a tour of the aviation labs and to discuss how they can partner to advance drone technology in their curriculum.

“We can share how the program is set up, how to get funding, and show them the demand,” said Dr. Rawat. “We have gone through this and when someone asks to partner with us, we work with them.”

Dr. Acquaah said that Bowie State is not looking to develop an aviation program, but rather incorporate drone technology into their existing curriculum. He said he and his colleagues hope to partner with ECSU, not only gaining guidance from existing research, but also how to create a hands-on drone experience for their own students.

Bowie’s Dr. Joan Langdon is a professor of computer science. She says that her students are looking for more than understanding the research that goes into the drone technology, they want a hands-on experience.

Dr. Rosemary Shumba, the chair of Bowie’s computer science department, said a partnership will give her Maryland-based university the benefit of learning from ECSU’s experience and knowledge. It is an opportunity for Bowie State students to learn about drone applications in a variety of disciplines from computer science to artificial intelligence.

“This will be a really good ad-on for students who really like the latest technology,” said Dr. Shumba.

Dr. Aquaah said Bowie State also likes the partnership model ECSU has created with the surrounding community. He said he would like to see Bowie State eventually work with local government on drone-related projects, or perhaps educational opportunities, similar to what is taking place at ECSU.

Dr. Acquaah said he had seen the aviation labs on a previous campus visit and was excited to share the experience with his Bowie State colleagues. He says his team with take the information gathered at ECSU back to Bowie State’s provost, where they will begin working on ways the two institutions can partner in the future.

For Dr. Rawat’s part, not only is he excited to share ECSU’s knowledge and experience, but he is also happy that the university is becoming known as a leader in aviation and drone technology and education.