Spirit AeroSystems Gives $100,000 in Materials to OSU Engineering

Corporation’s gift fuels nationwide student competition and bolsters pipeline of potential employees

Cutting-edge research at Oklahoma State University received a boost earlier this year from the Tulsa division of Spirit AeroSystems, which donated $100,000 worth of carbon fabric to OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

“We want to maximize our giving to touch more people and let the students know that we really do care,” said Mark Walker, Spirit AeroSystems representative. “And OSU makes it easy for us to do that together. It really is a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“We plan to use these (carbon fabrics) to make composite laminates for investigating the effects of environmental exposure,” said Dr. Raman Singh, mechanical engineering associate professor. “I have an NSF (National Science Foundation) funded project and this material will be very helpful in studying some aerospace-grade materials. We also have interest from NASA-Langley and NASA-Marshall in aerospace applications of composites, and these materials will be used for pilot studies.”

The Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems is the world’s largest supplier of commercial airplane assemblies and components. Spirit’s relationship with OSU engineering departments started years ago when it provided a lead sponsorship for the Design, Build and Fly Competition to help OSU students purchase the materials needed to compete. This initial contribution and support, a tradition Spirit AeroSystems has built on, has helped form an award-winning OSU team – a legacy that continues today. This year, OSU’s black and orange teams took first and second place respectively in the competition.

“This competition is exactly what Spirit AeroSystems does,” said Walker.  “We’re not just handing over a check; we’re making an investment in our state and the future of our company.  The competition includes designing, building and flying a final product, and it is no accident that we employ some of the winning team members at our facility. OSU works with Oklahoma employers to train and retain our most talented kids.”

Over the years, Spirit’s investment in OSU has grown from a student scholarship to competition sponsorships, employee recruitment and in-kind donations of premier aerospace equipment. Spirit benefits from its relationship with OSU in the recruitment of new talent for its team of more than 2,500 employees in Oklahoma. Beyond engineers, Spirit looks to OSU for top-performing accounting and business students to maintain Spirit’s position at the forefront of the industry. 

The OSU Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.

Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, Oklahoma State University is a five-campus, public land-grant educational system that improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach.  OSU has more than 32,000 students across its system and nearly 21,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and around 110 nations.  Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world. 

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