Drone Education

ALBANY, N.Y. (October 31, 2016) – Are you interested in learning about unmanned aircrafts? Your opportunity to take flight will be on campus Tuesday.

UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) is hosting an afternoon of activities to address the opportunities - and challenges - that come with the use of unmanned vehicles and devices.

The University community is invited to an afternoon of drone activities on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

The free event is scheduled for 3:30-8:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Attendees do not need to stay the entire time, but registration is required.

Commonly known as drones, unmanned aircrafts were originally developed for military application. They’ve since expanded into other industries, such as policing and surveillance, aerial photography, agriculture, and recreational operation. Civilian drones now vastly out number military drones, with an estimated 2.8 million sold this year alone.

Tomorrow’s event will include both indoor and outdoor unmanned aircraft demonstrations, a viewing of the film “Eye in the Sky,” and a panel discussion with industry experts Brian Nussbaum, CEHC, Robert Heverly, Albany Law School, James Blanchard, Aquillas Holdings Ltd., Arthur Holland Michel, Bard College’s Center for the Study of Drones and Mark Cooter, PatchPlus Consulting.

“We chose drones as the topic for this event because their use is exploding and society is still grappling with many questions surrounding them,” said David Rousseau, CEHC interim dean. “Do drones raise privacy concerns at home? Should armed drones be used against suspected terrorists in neutral countries? How do drone attacks impact the perception of America abroad? We are delighted to discuss these important questions.”

In addition to drone activities, leaders from UAlbany and Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) will be coming together to sign a dual admissions agreement. It will allow interested transfer students to seamlessly transition into CEHC’s new undergraduate major.

MVCC recently launched an associate degree program in small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS). Its curriculum offers students the opportunity to work as sUAS pilots, operators, and/or mission team members. MVCC also offers programs in criminal justice and cyber security and has established an Institute for Emergency Preparedness.

“We are thrilled to partner with MVCC to provide their students with a seamless transfer option into our major in emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity,” Rousseau said. “Given MVCC’s current program offerings, as well as their emerging Institute for Emergency Preparedness, we think they are a perfect partner.”

More information on the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity can be found on its official website. Also view the full schedule of activities for tomorrow’s drone event here.

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