Aviation Program soaring to another level
After only seven weeks at Utah State University, Richard Charles is making plans to change the aviation program.
“We really needed to give the program a little more identity, so one of the ways we did that was to hire a full-time director,” Maurice Thomas, associate cean of the College of Engineering, said.
Charles began his work as aviation director this semester and will be able to devote his full attention to the program and help take it to the next level.
Most recently teaching at Georgia State University, Charles’ background of more than 30 years in aviation also includes five years in the Air Force, owning a small aviation business and working with Continental Airlines, Aeronautical Radio Inc. and Collins Air Transport Division.
“He had the right combination of both experience in aviation and in leadership,” Thomas said.
“[The program] has a lot of challenges, things that I see as opportunities for me here to really make a meaningful difference to the program,” Charles said.
Through these changes, Charles plans to take the program to the next level.
“Probably the most important objective I have is to re-orient this program from simply being a place where we train pilots and mechanics to a scholarly, academic research-based program,” Charles said.
Being research based is different from the majority of aviation programs in the country, but Charles says USU’s program will benefit from the change.
Other challenges include updating the aviation’s fleet of 20 planes and raising money to do so without increasing student flight fees. Charles also plans to paint, organize and update the aviation lab so when students enter the real workforce, they will be familiar with its set up.
Adding a graduate degree to the aviation program and possibly another undergraduate degree may also be in the program’s future.
“I’d say all of these things we are doing are really designed for one purpose and one purpose only – and that is to better equip our graduates for careers in this industry,” Charles said of the changes being made.
Earlier this year, Charles was elected as the international director of the Airline Avionics Institute. He will be in charge of bringing international businesses to the Avionics meetings.
“Anytime we can get faculty involved in these kinds of organizations, it brings recognition to the institutions,” Thomas said.
A new position and a new director will bring numerous changes to USU’s aviation program in hope of bettering students’ experience.
“I personally see this as an important step next step in the development of our aviation education,” Thomas said.
-albaugh@cc.usu.edu