National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita State University

05/12/2026

Congratulations to the winners of the Excellence in Aviation Research and Emerging Technology Innovation awards from the Wichita State University College of Engineering () 2026 Open House! 🥇 Winners of the Excellence in Aviation Research award include Parker Struve, Seth Newton, Caleb Zimmerman, James Wright and Gabriel Remmert. Winners of the Emerging Technology Innovation award include Caden Carlson, Jordan Manning, Reese Pekny, Alexis Silva and Gary Tran.

05/12/2026

The NIAR Awards at the Wichita State University College of Engineering Open House 2026 were a success! This event is always a prime opportunity for students to showcase their hard work and be recognized for it.

05/12/2026

05/07/2026

We just completed a custom 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 addition to the Environmental Test Lab! Built in Wichita, this custom chamber supports 𝗠𝗜𝗟‐𝗦𝗧𝗗‐𝟴𝟭𝟬 and 𝗥𝗧𝗖𝗔/𝗗𝗢‐𝟭𝟲𝟬 test standards and expands our ability to evaluate equipment for helicopter, VTOL and other abrasive operating environments. What makes this capability unique?

𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 inside the chamber—allowing testing to continue even when seasonal humidity exceeds standard limits.

𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 for more accurate sand distribution at lower velocities.

𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟴 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿.

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 for functional operation during testing.

Complements our already‑established 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, offering a full suite of particulate environment testing.

We are now scheduling customers and excited to support your environmental testing and qualification needs. We’re not just a test house—𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

05/06/2026

NIAR’s ATLAS was at SAMPE 2026 JAMS conference. Dr. Waruna Seneviratne and his team received 1st place in the Outstanding Technical Paper Awards for “Ultra-High-Rate Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Aircraft Tip Rib using Hybrid Overmolding.” This marks the third time in a row that Waruna and his team’s work has stood out among hundreds and reached the top three in the awards! Congratulations! 🥇 🎉

04/09/2026

There was great turnout yesterday at the Airbus North America Engineering Supplier Day at Wichita State University. Remarks and presentations featured Airbus Chairman and CEO Robin Hayes, Airbus VP of Engineering John O'Leary, Greater Wichita Partnership President Jeff Fluhr, Lt. Gov. of Kansas David Toland, Wichita Mayor Wichita Lily Wu, Senator Jerry Moran, WSU President Muma and AVP of Research and Industry Engagement Pierre Harter. Airbus is an integral partner to Wichita State University, the region and state through its continuous commitment to applied learning, advanced research, engaging with the Wichita supplier base and cultivating the future of aerospace in Kansas.

04/07/2026

NIAR MRO & Aircraft Services is attending MRO Americas on April 21-23 in collaboration with the Greater Wichita Partnership and Air Capital of the World. We can be found in booth #2150 being represented by NIAR MRO Director of Operations Dustin Stuever. Join us in Orlando, Fla.! ✈️ 🌴

03/14/2026

Last week, NIAR brought together seven inspirational women in our institution to commemorate National Women in Aviation Week. During this three-part interview series, you'll hear stories from women who have put time and effort into mastering their craft and who have played a vital role in driving aerospace engineering innovation forward. In this final installment, meet Sydney Rathbun, project coordinator at NIAR Advanced Machining & Prototyping (AMP), and Tami Portela, chief of staff and senior operations leader at the APEX lab.

03/13/2026

Last week, NIAR brought together seven inspirational women in our institution to commemorate National Women in Aviation Week. During this three-part interview series, you'll hear stories from women who have put time and effort into mastering their craft and who have played a vital role in driving aerospace engineering innovation forward. In this next installment, meet Kaycee Schkolovyi, automation technician at the NIAR Automation Research Center (ARC), Haylee Thurman, ARC automation technical lead and Nicolette Blasgen, ARC program manager.

03/13/2026

Last week, NIAR brought together seven inspirational women in our institution to commemorate National Women in Aviation Week. During this three-part interview series, you'll hear stories from women who have put time and effort into mastering their craft and who have played a vital role in driving aerospace engineering innovation forward. In this first installment, meet Brylea Schmidt, research assistant in advanced materials research, and Sarah Varner, research engineer at the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel.