CMU TODAY commercial market for drones is growing by 25% a year, from $1.6 billion in 2019 to an expected $8.5 billion by 2027. Drones are used in agriculture, surveying, construction, warehousing, logistics, the arts and more. The CMU lab currently consists of two one-credit courses offered through the School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts. Students in the initial Drone Lab courses this past summer plan careers in fields including broadcasting, filmmaking, meteorology and business.
Senior Justin Lyle from Dowagiac, Michigan, is among the first of many students benefiting from Michigan’s only multidisciplinary Drone Lab, a new addition to Central Michigan University. Lyle, who sees creative videography in his future, said a CMU course this summer placed him at the controls of a remote-operated aircraft for the first time. He now plans to pursue FAA drone pilot certification. “I definitely fell in love,” he said. “Being able to say I’m a licensed pilot will open a lot of doors.” Drones represent huge and growing career opportunities. According to Fortune Business Insights, the worldwide
MAC honors Fashion Merchandising and Design faculty member Michael Mamp awarded for dynamic and inspirational teaching Fashion Merchandising and Design faculty member Michael Mamp has been named a recipient of the Mid-American Conference Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success. The award honors MAC-member institution faculty members for their exceptional support and dedication to student success inside and outside of the classroom. After a 14-year career in the fashion industry, Mamp found his passion as an instructor, sharing his knowledge of the business with students. For more than seven years, Mamp has been engaging
“The ‘facility’ is the drones and wherever we bring the drones,” said BCA Chair Heather Polinsky. She planned the lab along with CMU alum Zach Huffman, founder of Atlanta-based drone service provider Hyvion, as part of a grant proposal for the CMU President’s and Provost’s Fund for Program Innovation and Excellence. The grant purchased a fleet of 35 drones for the lab, ranging from beginner models to a $10,000 craft that Huffman said exceeds industry standards. CMU and Hyvion are partners in the project. Huffman taught the first courses, and students who complete the program will have the opportunity to join Hyvion as interns or as part of the company’s nationwide network of 200-300 drone pilots. •
CMU students in innovative courses such as History of Western Dress, Queer Fashion and Fashion Fundamentals. In addition, Mamp is the founding faculty member and director of CMU’s topranked online fashion merchandising and design program. In the classroom, he empowers students to gain hands-on experience in well-equipped labs featuring technology, such as the Makerbot 3-D printing lab. He also leads study tours in fashion centers including Chicago, New York and Paris. Mamp, ’96, says many things have changed since he received his degree from CMU. What hasn’t changed are the remarkable efforts of university faculty members to connect with students and maintain those relationships. He says crafting those connections is the most rewarding part of the job.
“I think we have a responsibility to provide the best experience we can for those students, and I think we take that very seriously,” he said. •
STEVE JESSMORE PHOTOGRAPHY
Partnership creates real-world opportunities for students in various university programs
The lab is a program, not a place — because the hands-on learning involved in flying them can take place almost anywhere, indoors and out.
PHOTO BY STEVE JESSMORE/
New drone lab takes flight at CMU
Michael Mamp was honored with the Mid-American Conference Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success. Centralight Fall ’21
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