“A drone, in technological terms, is an uncrewed aircraft. Practically, a drone is a flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously through software-controlled flight plans in their embedded systems, working in conjunction with onboard sensors and GPS.”

The future of drones is limitless and Warren Community College (WCC) is truly the place for those who want to be a part of this fast-growing industry to spread their wings.

While the drone and robotic program at WCC is only four years old, It has grown from three students in 2018 to over 40 now, with a revised capacity of up to 200 students. After a major expansion this year, the new state-of-the-art 5,000-square-foot Dr. Joseph Warren Robotic Research Center and 1,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing maker labs opened to students on September 7, and is a huge incentive for those interested in a future-proof career.

Housed in WCC’s existing Phillipsburg Education Center on Marshall Street, the renovated and expanded Research Center, occupying its own wing is named after Dr. Joseph Warren (1741-1775), Warren County’s namesake. The expanded wing will be dedicated in a special ceremony on Oct. 12.

Dr. Will Austin, college president and the drone program’s chief pilot, along with his team, can now train students with about 50 uncrewed vehicles and a variety of robotic systems.  

“The grant funded expansion has allowed us to raise the bar for this program exponentially,” said Dr. Austin. “It gives us the space to educate more students and provide a larger variety of drones and course options.” 

Dr. Austin noted that funds for the expansion were in part from a Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act grant. In June 2021, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, along with Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan and Secretary of Higher Education Brian Bridges, announced that Warren was one of nine community colleges in the state to be approved for the funding. The grants are intended to fund the enhancement of career and technical education in county vocational-technical school districts and county colleges.

Certified remote drone instructor Peter Miller, from Nazareth, PA, who maintains flight readiness for the largest fleet of drones held by a college in the United States, said, “The space basically went from one classroom to all of this. The new wing is in a completely renovated old space and houses all the computers.” He added, “Each of the lab’s computers are programmed with highly specialized software.”

Amanda Moberg, from Phillipsburg, graduated from WCC in May 2022 with an associate degree in Unmanned Systems. She noted, “The old space is being used for an advanced makers space, a build/assembly space, to teach how to design and build robots from scratch.”

Warren Community College remains at the forefront of this fast-growing industry with its new Research Center and an array of labs for flight simulation; geographic information systems (GIS); photogrammetry; uncrewed systems design and assembly; uncrewed aircraft, ground, and maritime vehicles; library/resource room; a lecture hall; and a facility to produce podcasts and videos.

Moving outside the classroom, actual flight, group flight or group simulation classes take place at the Ed & Eileen Smith Droneport at the Warren Community College Campus in Washington.

Since all of her training and learning experiences took place in the old lab and online, Moberg relishes the improvements in the new Research Center. She said, “There’s so much space! It’s nice for everyone to be able to do what they need to do without tripping over each other. Scheduling in the old lab couldn’t overlap, unfinished projects had to be put away. Here there’s dedicated space in all the labs. Storage was difficult, we had to pack a lot into a small space, now we can spread out. There’s a dedicated charging area, allowing more units to charge simultaneously. There’s an actual library/resource room. The Center is so new, we’re still figuring how best to use all the space.”

Moberg’s enthusiasm is shared by many others.

Tom Knibbes, from Bangor, PA, pictured above, is in his third semester, having begun the program in the old building. Of the new Research Center, he said “This is a huge improvement over the previous drone lab. It’s a fantastic space and I’m really proud to be a part of it. I’m excited to usher in a new chapter of the program. The new computers add a lot of functionality over the previous drone lab. Ideally, I’d like to transfer to a four year program for a Bachelor’s, but in the meantime I hope to start working in the field.”

Dwight Godwin, from Flanders said, “I’m a non-traditional student, doing this for my own edification with an eye on a second career as I get older. My research showed that this is one of the top programs in the country. The new construction was a big draw. Creating such a big, new space said a lot about the program. I’m very impressed with the facility. I do have a drone at home but could never successfully fly it!”

Walter Hall, from Hackettstown, commented, “Drones are an incredibly vast topic, more than I ever realized, right now is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s still new. It’s a fantastic addition to Warren Community College. From what I’ve heard and read, it’s one of the most impressive set ups in the country.”

Mirroring the students’ praise of the new Dr. Joseph Warren Robotic Research Center and its enhanced program, industry leaders have also commended the nationally recognized drone program. In just a few years it has already earned several national certifications, including from the FAA.

This year, Warren’s president was recognized by AUVSI, the world’s leading organization for autonomous robotic vehicle systems, with its prestigious “Member of the Year” award (previously awarded to top robotic experts like the Vice President Flight Operations & Safety at UPS). AUVSI staff chose Dr. Austin as a way of celebrating his work in “developing the college’s internationally acclaimed training programs and supporting the fast-growing autonomous system industry”. The award was announced April 28 in Orlando during the XPONENTIAL conference sponsored by the AUVSI. Other participants represented corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries working with autonomous systems in business, government, public service, military, and education. 

“Dr. Austin committed enormous time and resources to advancing the role of uncrewed systems in community colleges and universities,” said AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne. “We are grateful for his work positioning the AUVSI Trusted Operator Program as a critical workforce development tool, while he pushed for significant funding to scale the program, and served as a speaker, repair and maintenance workshop organizer, and partner at XPONENTIAL.”

Poised to stay ahead of the curve, the growth doesn’t stop here. Degree options in Precision Agriculture and Commercial Space Operations are scheduled to be added for Fall 2023. After that, probably anything desired, as Warren is positioning itself as a world leader in robotic vehicle systems.

In October, the Center will be dedicated as will the Fred Grotenhuis Flight Simulation Laboratory, named for the life-long resident of Harmony New Jersey, an avid aviator, and a Vietnam Veteran who is still fondly remembered by all in Warren County.

For more information on the drone program, visit www.warren.edu/drones