Aeronatical and Aerospace Engineering

Name of concept: Aeronatical and Aerospace Engineering

Overview of idea:

Of all of the things to dream of by the year 2025, I truly believe that RIT needs to have an aeronautics and aerospace school. Mechanical engineering does not cut it anymore when it comes to being a top school. Other great schools like MIT, CalTech, etc have their own aerospace departments, fantastic propulsion testing facilities, and a great staff dedicated to the studies of aeronautics and aerospace engineering. If RIT really is an engineering school, then why does it not have these degrees? To compete with other highly ranked schools, this is an obvious first choice.

How this idea leverages current areas of RIT expertise:

The Aeronautical and Aerospace engineering would be an extension of electrical and mechanical engineering departments.

Identify the main RIT on-campus champion(s) for this idea:

Ryan Woods

Identify additional on-campus champions willing to collaborate with this individual and take a lead role in driving the idea:

Haven't identified any.

Identify the potential off-campus individual, organization, company or government entity advocate(s):

Yes, Norm Isler Experimental Aircraft Association

How you envision this idea advancing RIT's national or global stature in an important or emerging field:

Every other great university has some form of an Aeronautical/Aerospace engineering. MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Georgia Institute of Technology, Purdue, University of Michigan, University of Illinois, University of Texas, etc. Space exploration and space propulsion are valuable to our university because there are so many private space tourism, space exploration, and aerospace engineering companies exist and are beginning to form that to not study these items specifically does not prepare students who want to enter these fields.

Why you believe RIT has a unique opportunity or an ability to differentiate itself through this idea:

We are not competing with schools like MIT, CalTech, or the University in Michigan. While I understand that we can not compete in every way, we should at least have an Aeronautics/Aerospace program that caters to the students entering that field and allows them to research a high priority topic such as space propulsion, Space Systems, Durability, etc. The degree should be Aeronautics/Aerospace with concentrations in Space Systems, Space Propulsion, etc. Not Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Aeronautics. How can we hope to differentiate ourselves in an area that I feel is most important, especially with a growing interest in space travel, if we can not even compete in that area.