Amy Alrutz started her college career as a professional pilot major in Kent State’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering during her first year until she was drawn in by the unmanned aircraft systems operations major.  

It wasn’t long before Alrutz was hired as an undergraduate research assistant where she teaches other students how to fly drones and conducts workshops to educate the community, law enforcement and first responders about getting drones into the airspace safely and how they can improve public safety.

Alrutz was drawn to Kent State’s Center for Advanced Air Mobility because it offered her the opportunity to fly drones and prepare for her future career.

“What drew me to the Center for Advanced Air Mobility is just being able to have that experience,” she said. “It’s preparing me for my graduation and then for my future career as well. I got involved early flying the Alta-X (cargo drone) around campus … I think Kent State is positioning itself as a leader for Advanced Air Mobility.”  

A Center for Innovation

In 2023, Kent State University announced the establishment of the Center for Advanced Air Mobility within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. This cutting-edge center serves as a hub of innovation, research and collaboration, bringing together faculty, staff, students and external partners from government, academia and industry to address the transformative field of advanced air mobility.

Advanced air mobility represents a groundbreaking integration of autonomous aircraft technology into the national airspace and the global economy. It aims to revolutionize low-altitude air transportation by providing safe, efficient and sustainable solutions for passenger and cargo transport. Kent State's Center for Advanced Air Mobility is at the forefront of this emergent field, focusing on sustainability, air traffic management and the advancement of other key technologies.

Leadership With Vision

In 2024, Kent State named Rubén Del Rosario, D.Eng., as the new director of the  Center for Advanced Air Mobility and professor in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. In these roles, Del Rosario has leveraged the center's achievements to create additional opportunities while harnessing the college's ability to provide students with hands-on, real-world experience in preparation for the future of advanced air mobility.

“The primary goal of the center is to bring all the different capabilities that we have within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering and within Kent State at large, and bring together all those skills and expertise that we have throughout faculty and throughout our research capability, all under the umbrella of advancing aviation for the future,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario is a nationally recognized leader in advanced air mobility, aerospace systems development, and the electrification of aircraft propulsion systems. He brings to Kent State a record of distinguished leadership from NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center and Crown Consulting, Inc., where he built critical research and development partnerships across industry and government. 

High School Programs Take Flight

Kent State is also leading the way when it comes to providing high school students with training through a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Workforce Development Program grant awarded to Kent State. Todd Remenaric, a technology instructor at Stow-Munroe Falls High School’s Aeronautics Careers Academy, completed training to teach Part 47 drone certification.  Remenaric now brings that knowledge directly to his students, helping prepare the next generation for careers in unmanned aircraft systems and the broader aviation industry. 

Breaking Barriers 

Last year, the College of Aeronautics and Engineering achieved a significant milestone in advanced air mobility research, receiving a specialized (FAA) waiver for drone operations over people and moving vehicles. This waiver positions Kent State at the forefront of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) innovation and research.

Secured through the efforts of aviation law specialist  and assistant professor Jason Lorenzon, and his student research team, the waiver enables the college to conduct unprecedented drone research and operations on campus.

Under current FAA regulations (14 CFR Part 107), drone operations are strictly limited to visual line of sight and are prohibited from flying over people or moving vehicles without special authorization. These restrictions are designed to protect public safety. The FAA requires an extensive evaluation process before granting waivers that allow certified pilots to conduct such operations, reviewing detailed safety protocols and risk-mitigation strategies. 

Driving Innovation, Collaboration and Research

The Center for Advanced Air Mobility’s primary mission is to foster research, testing, and development in advanced air mobility. By establishing strategic partnerships and collaborations, the center provides unique opportunities for workforce development in this rapidly growing industry. Students and researchers gain hands-on experience, expand their knowledge of key technologies and systems, and become leaders in the field of advanced air mobility.

Mechatronics engineering doctoral candidate Elaheh Sabziyan Varnousfaderani has been conducting research in the Center for Advanced Air Mobility. Varnousfaderani has plans to do research and teach in academia once she earns her Ph.D.

“The Center for Advanced Air Mobility at Kent State is working to support our research,” Varnousfaderani said. “So, it organizes many workshops and invites guest speakers to give us updates and the very latest research so we can get familiar with the latest ideas and think about how we can make advanced air mobility a reality.” Her research focuses on preventing bird strikes using artificial intelligence and optimization models.

Syed A. M. Shihab, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, focuses his research on AI-driven decision-making systems to optimize air mobility operations.  Along with Varnousfaderani, his research addresses the technological and regulatory challenges for realizing advanced air mobility – from developing airspace management systems to ensuring the safe certification of autonomous technologies. 

History and Future of Advanced Air Mobility  

Advanced Air Mobility is an evolving concept that envisions the safe and efficient integration of emerging aviation technologies—such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft—into the national airspace system. While the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 laid important groundwork for integrating unmanned aircraft systems, the broader framework for advanced air mobility has taken shape more recently through collaborative efforts by NASA, the FAA, and industry stakeholders to define operational models, regulatory pathways, and safety standards for these transformative technologies. 

There is also work commencing that includes the fuel cell technology developed by Yanhai Du, Ph.D., professor in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering and principal investigator of Kent State’s Sustainable Energy Research program, Lorenzon said. He is also working on a project involving electric airplanes and bringing that technology to Kent State.  

At Kent State, the Center for Advanced Air Mobility is helping shape this future by aligning research and curriculum with the evolving demands of the industry. Del Rosario notes that preparing students for advanced air mobility means focusing not just on current jobs, but on roles that may emerge in the next five to ten years. The college has already redesigned its air traffic control program to include low-altitude airspace management and is working to integrate technologies like electric aircraft across disciplines. As Del Rosario put it, “We are preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet.”