KENT, Ohio – Kent State University’s Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the Digital Engineering Design Center within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, positioning the university as a regional and national leader in digital engineering education, research and workforce development. 

Effective in the fall, the Digital Engineering Design Center will provide students and faculty with advanced tools and interdisciplinary project opportunities; support research and innovation across engineering and aeronautics; and strengthen partnerships with industry, government and regional organizations to prepare graduates for high-demand careers and emerging technological fields. 

Students will gain hands-on experience with industry-standard platforms, along with applied project internships supported by the U.S. Department of Defense. These opportunities will prepare students for a rapidly evolving workforce that relies on model-based systems engineering, real-time simulation and cyber-informed design while strengthening retention, career readiness and integration across the college’s two schools.

Student interest in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering has surged, the university said in a news release, with applications rising from 1,082 in December 2022 to 2,480 for fall 2026 and admits increasing from 718 to 1,582. The center will meet the growing demand by offering advanced infrastructure, interdisciplinary projects and industry-aligned experiential learning.

Kent State is the only university in Ohio – and among few nationally – to combine engineering and aeronautics within one college. The center will leverage institutional investments, including the expanded Aeronautics and Engineering Building and the FedEx Aeronautics Academic Center and will complement the 2025 launch of the School of Engineering and the School of Aeronautics. 

The Digital Engineering Design Center will use two connected rooms in the Aeronautics and Engineering Building as its primary space. Initial setup costs were covered by Department of Defense projects, and ongoing software and platform needs will be met through industry partnerships and external funding sources, including federal grants and training events. The center will not require new university funds, the release states.

The center will function as an academic administrative unit within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. A director, appointed by the provost in consultation with the dean, will oversee daily operations and digital engineering initiatives, with annual reports submitted to the dean and provost. An advisory board of faculty, industry and government partners will guide strategy and identify new research and workforce opportunities.

President’s Contract Extended

The board of trustees also approved an extension of President Todd A. Diacon’s employment agreement through June 30, 2029, citing exceptional leadership and expressing strong confidence in his leadership and the university’s direction. The extension adds two years to his current agreement, which was set to expire June 30, 2027. 

Diacon was appointed as the 13th president of Kent State University on July 1, 2019. During his tenure, the university has undertaken its most significant academic restructuring in decades through the Transformation 2028 initiative; launched major capital investments, including Crawford Hall and the FedEx Aeronautics Academic Center; and established strategic positioning around the Health and Design themes that define the university’s regional identity and national competitiveness. 

Degree Programs Approved

The board also approved two new degree programs within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, expanding the university’s academic offerings in high-demand technical fields.

The board approved the establishment of the Industrial and Systems Engineering major within the Bachelor of Science degree, effective fall 2026, pending Ohio Department of Higher Education approval. The program, housed in the School of Engineering, will prepare graduates for careers in manufacturing, health care, logistics, aerospace, supply chain management and advanced technology sectors. Graduates will be prepared for roles including industrial engineer, systems engineer, operations analyst, quality engineer, process improvement engineer and engineering project manager.

The program requires a minimum of 120 credit hours, building a foundation in mathematics, science and engineering fundamentals, followed by advanced coursework in operations research, quality, optimization, risk analysis, project management and digital engineering. In their senior year, students select one of two tracks: industrial engineering, emphasizing process improvement, quality, manufacturing systems and risk, or systems engineering, emphasizing model-based systems engineering, decision analysis and digital engineering. The program is designed to pursue Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology accreditation and to prepare graduates for professional engineering roles across multiple industry sectors.

The board also approved the establishment of the Aviation Science major within the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, effective fall 2026, pending final approval by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission. Both programs will be housed within the School of Aeronautics and are designed to advance graduate education and research in aviation as an integrated, safety-critical and highly regulated sociotechnical system.

Kent State is home to one of the nation’s largest collegiate flight and aeronautics programs and is positioned to offer graduate-level education that integrates technical expertise, human factors, management, law and policy to meet evolving industry needs, the release states. The new degrees address emerging domains including advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft systems and data-informed aviation operations.

The Master of Science in Aviation Science requires a minimum of 32 credit hours and may be completed through either a thesis or nonthesis option. The Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation Science requires a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or 60 credit hours beyond a relevant master’s degree, culminating in a 30-credit-hour dissertation. Both programs will be offered through online and in-person blended delivery modalities to support full-time students and working professionals. The programs are expected to become financially self-sustaining within the first year of implementation.

Pictured at top: Students in Kent State University’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering use immersive virtual reality tools to build digital skills for real-time design, testing and collaboration.

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