Will Waters was doing innovative agricultural analysis on the College of Florida again within the Seventies however he most likely may by no means envision what his grandson Andrew could be engaged on 5 a long time later at Warren UAS, the pioneering drone coaching program at Warren County Neighborhood School.
Andrew Bieniek, who lately graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical College, has joined the rising workers at WarrenUAS as a specialist within the programming and upkeep of some 90 drone programs at Warren.
He’ll be monitoring and sustaining these programs and coaching WarrenUAS college students to fill the massive gaps the place these abilities are wanted within the drone trade. He’ll even be targeted on the coaching and analysis Warren is doing in precision agriculture, the rising use of drones to watch and enhance farmland and vastly enhance the effectivity of farmers.
“My grandfather was doing main analysis on the expansion of oranges and tomatoes and different crops. He was an enormous affect on me, and I used to be at all times within the work he was doing. Now I’ve an opportunity to work with these cutting-edge instruments that at the moment can enhance the effectivity and sustainability of farms,” he mentioned.
Bieniek was a standout scholar at Embry-Riddle, the main aeronautical program within the nation, initially learning aerospace engineering due to a long-held love of flight. Nevertheless, he has the dwarfism genetic situation achondroplasia, and he acknowledged that, whereas he dreamed of flying, his situation would make it difficult. At about the identical time he discovered drones.
“He was at all times attempting to be taught extra and discover new materials” says Dr. Joseph Cerreta, an affiliate professor within the School of Aeronautics at Embry-Riddle, who was Bieniek’s professor in drone coaching programs and his mentor.
Cerreta factors out that Bieniek sought out new studying alternatives, working with the school on drone inspection of twister injury assessments and flooding in Oklahoma, for example, or the newest campus analysis on 3-D printing for the tools.
“However he not solely participated within the latest work we have been doing – he took on management roles with different college students as a group chief. They knew he had a grasp of the knowledge they usually needed to be taught from him. Warren is fortunate to have somebody who can join with their college students and supply them with the newest data about these programs, which he’ll maintain gathering.”
Warren County Neighborhood School President Will Austin, who has been deeply concerned in improvement of WarrenUAS on the faculty, echoed Cerreta’s reward.
“Andrew fills a spot right here on the school and the way in which we will serve the drone trade,” he mentioned. “He’s very nicely versed in unmanned programs however actually is aware of how one can design and preserve them. We’d like an skilled like that on campus for our fleet – and we wish our college students to have a chance to accumulate these abilities.”
In a short while at Embry-Riddle and within the 5 years since his commencement, Bieniek has gained further wide-ranging expertise. He has labored with the largest corporations providing drone supply companies, helped lead search-and-rescue missions, investigated invasive species and helped set up drone use for utility programs and operations. He has logged greater than 1,800 hours of flight time and in a single place
educated some 300 drone pilots.
“I’ve been lucky to have some nice studying experiences at Embry-Riddle and within the trade since, however I’m wanting ahead to the chance to work with college students and educate, which I actually get pleasure from most,” he mentioned. “This place will permit me to maintain up with the newest about drone programs and a chance to work with college students, so that they have the newest data.
He’s now engaged on improvement of a category overlaying the design, programming and upkeep of unmanned programs, probably supplied to WarrenUAS college students this fall.
WarrenUAS started operation at Warren County Neighborhood School 5 years in the past and has grown to be one of many main coaching packages for unmanned programs within the nation. Housed in two new services on campus, it provides its rising variety of college students entry to some $5 million in tools and a school comprised of main consultants within the subject.
It has expanded its choices and the certifications it might probably present for secure flight and now offers college students with extra particular coaching in precision agriculture, which has turn into one in all Austin’s priorities.
“There are such a lot of areas the place our college students can discover nice careers with these abilities working unmanned programs,” he mentioned. “Andrew will add one other dimension to our program as an skilled within the basic methods these programs function and are constructed and maintained. And his wide-ranging abilities and data might be an asset for us past that.”
Bieniek, who started his work at Warren in early February, says he’s already discovered that the place fits him nicely – and believes he may even additional increase this system’s fame as a number one tutorial web site for drone coaching.
“It’s such an thrilling time to be concerned on this subject and Warren is a superb place to discover the rising functionality of this expertise and prepare college students to study them and develop careers within the subject,” he mentioned.
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