Author: Tracee Friess

Wichita State’s National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) will hold an official Manufacturing Day event starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 at the National Center for Aviation Training. Aimed at educating the manufacturing industry and community leaders, NIAR’s Manufacturing Day will feature the latest advancements in automated metrology, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, beginning with a keynote address from Eric Hein, NIAR director of strategy and product development.

Formerly vice president of defense programs at Spirit AeroSystems, Hein now leads NIAR’s long-term strategic planning and guide product development efforts. The event is free to attend and includes a half day of programming with optional lunch and tours of NCAT facilities including NIAR’s Emerging Technologies Lab and WSU Tech’s Robotics/START Center Lab, CNC Lab/Machine Shop and Welding Shop. It is open to university and high school students.

Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) announces the appointment of Eric Hein as director of strategy and product development. In this role, Hein will lead the institute’s long-term strategic planning and guide product development efforts that support industry partners and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Hein brings more than 20 years of experience in the aerospace industry, leading engineering, research and development, and defense program execution efforts. At NIAR, he will be responsible for connecting advanced technologies to end users, fostering strategic partnerships and advancing innovative products.

“We are excited to welcome Eric back to Wichita State,” said John Tomblin, executive vice president for Research and Industry and Defense Programs and NIAR executive director. “His extensive background in defense programs, product development and strategic innovation will significantly improve our ability to streamline capabilities across our organization to expand our capabilities, bandwidth and R&D portfolio.”

Prior to joining NIAR, Hein served as vice president of defense programs at Spirit AeroSystems, where he led the execution of key defense contracts and guided the company’s expansion into new defense markets. He began his career at Spirit in 2010, managing propulsion product engineering teams for Boeing programs, including the KC-46A tanker and the 737 MAX. He went on to lead the 737 MAX Propulsion Integrated Product Team and later served as senior director of research and technology, overseeing Spirit’s R&D portfolio, materials and processes group, structures engineering team, and test labs.

Previously, Hein held engineering roles at Cessna and Boeing, contributing to a broad range of commercial and business aircraft programs. He has a private pilot license and Six Sigma certification.

Hein graduated from Wichita State with a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering. He serves on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas.

Wichita State University’s GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative, was named a Literary Legacy Honoree recently at Storytime Village’s 2024 Read and Rise Breakfast Gala. GoCreate, a community makerspace on campus, worked with Storytime Village to build 40 Little Free Libraries. GoCreate technicians, mentors and student assistants then collaborated with various community organizations and advocates to personalize the mini self-serve libraries that operate on the honor system. The libraries have been installed throughout the city. The award was accepted by Kim McCollum, GoCreate assistant director, and Ken Wiseman, facility manager.

“It was a no-brainer for us to work with the Little Free Libraries program,” Wiseman said. “The program gives community members access to a variety of different types of reading materials, empowering the community and allowing us and other community members the opportunity to pay it forward.”

Do you have students who are looking for applied learning opportunities? The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) is looking for students to support digital twin programs — which includes fully disassembling vehicles; scanning individual structural parts down to the nuts and bolts; and reassembling the virtual aircraft parts to create a digital twin.

Applied learning opportunities include on-campus and off-campus undergraduate and graduate mechanical computer-aided design, systems engineering and reverse engineering positions for U.S. citizens and qualified foreign nationals. These positions are open to all majors with opportunity for advancement based on performance and budget.

Students can find opportunities through WSU’s internal job listings, which also includes various other positions available at NIAR and the National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation. For additional information, contact Michael Henderson at michael.henderson@idp.wichita.edu.

Faculty and staff are invited to attend an open house experience by the The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28. Registration is required and limited to the first 40 to complete the form.

For manufacturers still relying on legacy systems and operations, merging existing technologies with new innovations can be challenging. Together, Deloitte and its ecosystem partners are helping companies accelerate their digital transformations. Its immersive smart factory experiences demonstrate how manufacturers can embrace the next level of technological innovation.

Research scientists and engineers from Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) attended the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX) in San Diego this week and returned home with coveted accolades.

Waruna Seneviratne, senior research scientist and director of NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), received the Pioneer Award from the American Composites Manufacturer’s Association (ACMA); and a combined team from NIAR ATLAS and KraussMaffei received CAMX’s Unsurpassed Innovation Award.

An Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) Operations and Maintenance Class will be held June 10-14 at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) on campus.

The newly developed training program teaches attendees how to operate and maintain an AFP machine using basic and advanced functions. There are still spots available for this four-day hands-on class, which includes instruction on compatible materials, machine limitations and challenges associated with performing a successful layup.

Attendees will also learn how to disassemble certain modules and parts on the machine. Learn more about this unique opportunity to take the first steps toward adoption of AFP technology.

NIAR staff Jeremy Sitz and Hunter Robertson, a senior in engineering, brought home Top Gun awards from the 2024 COExperience in Dallas last week.

Sitz placed first and Robertson took third. The Top Gun competition identifies the “Best of the Best” CATIA engineers and designers through a competition that tests their skills at developing the most accurate and correctly-structured three-dimensional model in the least amount of time.

NIAR staff have a history of bringing home honors in the competition. WSU student Dane Moorehead placed second in 2023.

Wichita State University Industry and Defense Programs (IDP) is proud to announce that Chris Snyder, IDP director of information technology and security, received the Trailblazing Chief Information Security Officer award from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry’s leading electronic information security magazine.

Snyder leads the Information Technology team and cybersecurity program for IDP. His team supports over 1,500 employees working within 22 distinct research labs and technology centers. Prior to joining WSU, Chris spent 30 years in Air Force cyberspace operations and airspace management. His Air Force career included multiple command positions, highlighted by his selection to stand up a diverse new Cyber Operations Group, comprised of a Security Operations Center, a cyber hunt team and a cyber red team. Chris is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and holds a Chief Information Officer Certificate from National Defense University. He graduated from Embry Riddle University with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics and later earned a Master of Business Administration from Webster University.

NIAR is offering training on geometric dimensional and tolerancing (GD&T) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 23-25 in John Bardo Center. Prior registration is required.

The course is a practical and straightforward introduction to GD&T and conforms to the Standard ASME Y14.5M-2018.

The objective of the course is to provide students with a practical understanding of fundamental GD&T, which can immediately be applied to their current work environment. The expert-led training covers the history of GD&T and provides an in-depth study of geometric characteristics and tolerance zones in an easy-to-understand format. The class is lecture-based, but also provides time for student questions and classroom discussions. Students are encouraged to bring their own drawings as real-world examples for the class to review and learn from.

Attendees should have a basic knowledge of how to read blueprints and engineering drawings prior to taking this course. Attendees who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion from WSU-NIAR. A workbook is included in the cost of training and is yours to keep.