WICHITA, Kan. (Aug. 19, 2026) — On National Aviation Day, the WSU Tech Foundation launched the final phase of its Accelerate. Innovate. Aviate. Capital Campaign, inviting the community to help raise the final $1.2 million toward an $8 million investment in the expansion of the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT).

The campaign has reached 85% of its goal, with $6.8 million already committed. The final phase now invites individuals, alumni, businesses and community partners to help complete an investment that will significantly expand WSU Tech’s capacity to prepare students and working professionals for careers in aviation, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.

“There could not be a more fitting day to invite our community to help us finish this campaign,” said Dr. Sheree Utash, president of WSU Tech. “Wichita’s aviation legacy was built by generations of people with the skill, ingenuity and determination to turn possibility into reality. Today, our responsibility is to prepare the workforce that will carry that legacy forward. Every gift to this campaign, large or small, is an investment in our students, our employers and the continued economic vitality of our region.”

 

Building capacity for Wichita’s workforce

The NCAT expansion will add approximately 85,500 square feet of instructional and training space to WSU Tech’s National Center for Aviation Training campus.

The new facility will include advanced aviation and manufacturing training centers, a professional pilot training center and hangar, a high school Aviation Maintenance Technology Academy, and additional spaces designed to support hands-on, industry-driven education.

The expansion will serve an additional 1,450 students and trainees within its first three years, significantly increasing WSU Tech’s ability to respond to employer demand for skilled workers while strengthening Wichita’s leadership in aviation and advanced manufacturing.

The facility also will provide industry partners with new opportunities to train and upskill their existing workforce, extending the expansion’s impact beyond traditional college students.

“This project has always been about more than adding square footage,” Utash said. “It is about creating the capacity our students, employers and community need for the future. What happens inside this building will have an impact far beyond its walls.”

 

By expanding student training capacity and creating additional opportunities for incumbent worker development, the project will strengthen the pipeline of highly skilled aviation and advanced manufacturing professionals needed by employers across Wichita and Kansas.

 

From campaign launch to the final stretch

 

 When the Accelerate. Innovate. Aviate. campaign was announced in August 2025, the Foundation had raised 37% of its $8 million goal. One year later, campaign commitments total $6.8 million, or 85% of the goal.

Individuals, foundations and industry partners have driven that progress through their support of WSU Tech students and the future workforce of the region.

“We have seen tremendous generosity from partners who understand that investing in WSU Tech students is also an investment in the future of our region,” said Courtney Sendall, executive director of the WSU Tech Foundation. “Reaching 85% of our goal in just one year is an incredible milestone. Now, the final $1.2 million gives us an opportunity to broaden that circle of support and invite the entire community to help bring this vision to life.”

Every gift makes an impact

During the campaign’s final phase, the Foundation is emphasizing opportunities for donors at every giving level.

In addition to traditional charitable contributions, community members can sponsor a classroom seat, purchase a commemorative brick, sponsor a student flight hour, support robotics and advanced technology training, or fund student and instructor workstations.

“Someone does not have to make a major gift to make a meaningful difference,” Sendall said. “Whether it is a commemorative brick, a sponsored seat or a gift of any size, every contribution moves us closer to the finish line and gives donors the opportunity to say, ‘I helped build what’s next for WSU Tech.’”

Construction of the NCAT expansion is underway, and students are expected to begin classes in the expanded facility in January 2027. The Foundation aims to complete the $8 million campaign as the new facility prepares to welcome its first students and trainees.

To learn more about the Accelerate. Innovate. Aviate. campaign, explore giving opportunities or make a gift, visit wsutech.edu/foundation/aviate.

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About the WSU Tech Foundation

The WSU Tech Foundation advances WSU Tech’s mission by connecting students, programs and institutional priorities with philanthropic investment. Through scholarships, program support, capital projects and industry partnerships, the Foundation helps expand access to technical education and strengthen the workforce in Wichita and across the region.

About WSU Tech

As Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, WSU Tech stands at the forefront of modern technical education in Kansas, offering over 100 degree and certificate options. These programs cover critical fields such as aviation, health care, manufacturing, design, information technology, police science, culinary arts, business, and more. WSU Tech operates four campuses and serves as the managing partner of the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT) in Wichita, KS—a city known for its high concentration of STEM jobs.

In 2018, Wichita State University, Kansas’ urban public research university, affiliated with WSU Tech, enhancing the institution’s student-centered focus and aligning with Wichita State’s dedication to innovation and applied learning. This partnership has created a comprehensive educational environment that supports student achievement and meets the evolving needs of industries in the urban heart of Kansas and beyond.

Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and as a Kansas Board of Regents institution, WSU Tech upholds high academic standards and equips students with the skills necessary for lifelong success and career readiness.

For more information on how WSU Tech shapes the future of technical education and contributes to the workforce in Kansas and beyond, please visit www.WSUTECH.edu.

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