Okay-State Salina
From its humble beginnings as a vital US Air Force base that supported victory in World War II to a one-of-a-kind vacation spot campus in the guts of the Sunflower State, Kansas State University Salina has repeatedly developed.
But all through these a long time, Okay-State Salina has all the time been on the forefront of modern education, and 2025 marks the campus’ sixtieth anniversary of offering high-quality, area of interest levels and packages that assist all learners in the industries of aerospace and expertise.
To rejoice, Okay-State Salina is inviting college students, college, employees, alumni and the Salina-area neighborhood to its sixtieth anniversary celebration on Thursday, October 9.
The event will probably be 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the Salina Selfie Station, 111 S. Santa Fe Ave. Willie the Wildcat will probably be on hand to welcome and snap images with attendees.
Air power base turns into cutting-edge aviation, expertise institute
The grounds of Okay-State Salina opened for operation in 1942 in the course of the top of World War II, initially constructed because the Smoky Hill Army Airfield for processing and a staging space of tools earlier than transitioning to what was generally known as Schilling Air Force Base in the Fifties.
Nearly 25 years after the bottom opened, it was deactivated in the mid Sixties. The land and a lot of the infrastructure has shifted for use by the Salina Regional Airport and instructional amenities.
In 1965, Schilling Institute was established on the identical grounds as the previous air power base. The faculty rapidly established itself as a number one post-secondary establishment for aviation and expertise packages, in addition to the state’s solely technical institute providing two-year packages of science and engineering expertise.
The faculty supplied levels in mechanical engineering expertise, electronics engineering expertise, civil engineering expertise and aeronautical expertise. In 1967, the campus established its laptop science expertise division, representing the primary laptop science diploma to be supplied by any faculty or college in the state of Kansas.
By 1969, the campus was renamed to the Kansas Technology Institute, nonetheless retaining its heavy focus for creating aviation and technology-related affiliate levels, and in 1986, started providing the famend skilled pilot bachelor’s diploma, a level that’s supplied to this date at Okay-State Salina.
In 1988, the campus was renamed to Kansas College of Technology.
Becoming a Okay-State campus
In 1991, in a landmark resolution, the campus neighborhood voted to merge into Kansas State University’s construction. At that point, the campus was identified for its experience in rising applied sciences and a profitable aviation program.
Since then, Okay-State Salina has continued to develop in its popularity for dedication to innovation. It was the primary in Kansas to supply a pc science program, established one of the nation’s premier skilled pilot packages and later made history supporting the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer mission in 2005. With the launch of the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems program in 2008, the campus positioned itself as a nationwide chief in drone education, analysis and utility, providing one of the primary bachelor’s levels of its type in the nation.
More lately, the campus has partnered with Hollywood leisure firm, Pure Imagination to create a unique industry-academic model that goes beyond collaboration. As half of the partnership and an total $41 million funding, Okay-State Salina is constructing the Kansas Artificial Intelligence Research and Entertainment Studio, or Okay-AIRES. This new 47,500-square-foot facility will probably be residence to the newest rising expertise achievements of this time, and can have analysis, education and innovation in the in the trade of synthetic intelligence, or AI, and digital applied sciences.
Okay-State Salina stays dedicated to shaping the long run of aerospace and expertise. The campus is reworking daring concepts into impactful progress.Through highly effective trade partnerships and an education mannequin that meets learners wherever they’re, Okay-State Salina delivers unmatched alternatives that put together the next generation of innovators and leaders.