[316] ISR Group Supports Development of UAS Program at MTSU

Release date: Feb. 15, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Aerospace contact: Dr. Wayne Dornan, 615-898-2788
or wdornan@mtsu.edu
ISR Group contact: Bob Boggan, 731-926-4188 (ext. 5007)
or bboggan@isrgroup.com

ISR Group Supports Development of UAS Program at MTSU

(MURFREESBORO) — Middle Tennessee State University and ISR Group, based in Savannah, Tenn., have signed a multiyear collaborative agreement to develop an unparalleled Unmanned Aerial System program in the southeastern United States, officials from both MTSU and ISR Group said.

The agreement ties MTSU’s nationally ranked Department of Aerospace with ISR Group’s industry-leading UAS experts, facilities and flight range to create a powerful academic presence in the unmanned aircraft industry.

The ISR Group and MTSU partnership capitalizes on each organization’s expertise to create a world-class UAS technology, research and academic program to support the emerging UAS market, help spur economic development, provide educational opportunities for the local work force and create high-tech jobs for Tennessee and the region.

ISR Group and MTSU make a great team to carry out collaborative training and research, officials with both said in a joint statement. ISR Group’s expert staff of UAS operators, maintainers, instructors and managers is working with MTSU’s aerospace faculty and staff to provide a solid foundation to develop a curriculum for UAS technology in the MTSU aerospace department and to help guide the development of a national UAS curriculum.

With an already high demand for defense and homeland security applications, unmanned systems are experiencing a significant increase for state, local and commercial use, such as law enforcement, emergency management and agriculture.

The largest challenge today is safely integrating unmanned aircraft in national airspace. MTSU’s aerospace department is working to assist the Federal Aviation Administration with defining the standards for small UAS flight operations and training certifications, as well as manned and unmanned next-generation air traffic management.

ISR Group’s privately owned 10-square-mile range complex and 32 square miles of available UAS airspace offer prime operational flight training and flight research capabilities. ISR Group also offers logistics and maintenance support along with state-of-the-art training equipment and facilities.

ISR Group’s generous donation to MTSU established the Director of UAS Programs position for which Kyle Snyder recently has been hired. MTSU and ISR jointly will pursue several UAS projects using expertise from both organizations.

“It is truly exciting to be a part of the first unmanned aircraft systems university-to-business program in the southeast United States. ISR Group and MTSU have created a powerful alliance that supports this rapidly growing industry segment and that positively contributes to economic development in the state of Tennessee,” said Alfred Lumpkin, CEO of ISR Group.

“This is a wonderful example of joining two Tennessee treasures (ISR and MTSU) in an academic/business partnership with national significance,” said Dr. Tom Cheatham, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.

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Note: A high-resolution jpeg photo is attached and/or available. To obtain, contact Randy Weiler in MTSU News and Media Relations by calling 615-898-5616, 615-898-2919 or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Alfred Lumpkin, left, CEO of ISR Group in Savannah, Tenn., and MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee sign documents establishing the multiyear collaborative agreement to develop an Unmanned Aerial System program.

About ISR Group

ISR Group is headquartered in Savannah, Tenn. (Hardin County). It is a leading provider of unmanned aircraft system services and support to customers worldwide. Full life cycle support solutions include training systems, technical services, logistics and depot level maintenance and range facilities. Other strengths include a strong customer base, multiplatform experience and a highly skilled work force with exceptional technical capabilities. ISR Group is the second-fastest growing mid-cap company in the Southeast region of the United States and has business relationships with Boeing, Northrop Grumman, AAI Corporation, L-3 Communications, INSITU, the U.S. Department of Defense and others.

About MTSU’s Department of Aerospace

MTSU’s Department of Aerospace, housed in the Business and Aerospace Building on campus and Flight Operations Center at Murfreesboro Airport, is considered one of the elite programs nationally and one of the University’s signature programs. The program, established in 1942, includes 14 full-time faculty, 35 flight instructors and more than 750 students majoring in any of five concentrations (professional pilot, flight dispatch, maintenance management, administration and technology). Through the efforts by the state of Tennessee, MTSU’s administration and department leaders, the program has remained on the cutting edge in technology, and has one of the most modern fleets of planes as a training ground for current and future graduates working all across the U.S. and abroad.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.