Institution History

Download the AFIT Centennial History Timeline Magazine

On 10 November 1919, Colonel Thurman Bane received authorization to begin instruction at the Air School of Application.  The following year, the first class of nine students graduated from the newly named Air Services Engineering School. Now, more than 100 years later, the Air Force Institute of Technology has awarded over 22,000 degrees and more than 400,000 people have gone through our continuing education courses!

The new millennium ushered in many advancements including:

2022

• Hangar 18, a cooperation of digital teams and assets with AFIT and the Air Force Research Laboratory, was named the Air Force’s newest software factory
• Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall visited AFIT for a tour and to hear firsthand from students about their cutting-edge research prior to his keynote address at the Graduate School of Engineering and Management’s commencement ceremony
• The Civil Engineer School’s inaugural offering of advanced control systems cybersecurity course for NCOs provided basic cybersecurity principles to demonstrate how malicious code can impact control systems and other critical infrastructure
• AFIT co-hosted the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities Digital Literacy Summit to address current challenges, strengthen collaborative agreements and promote research efforts between HBCUs and the Department of the Air Force
• The first class of USAF pilot training pipeline officers completed an in-residence, non-thesis master’s degree program
• AFIT and the AFIT Foundation selected five graduates to receive Distinguished Alumni Awards including Col (Ret) Susanne Waylett (M.S. Engineering Management, 1984) who in 1971 was the first female, officer or enlisted, to enter the civil engineering career field
• The Center for Space Research and Assurance celebrated its 10th anniversary
• The Graduate School of Engineering and Management offered a new graduate certificate in hypersonic flight
• Dr. Anthony Palazotto, Distinguished Professor of Aerospace Engineering, retired after 47 years at AFIT

2021

• The Higher Learning Commission reaffirmed AFIT’s accreditation for the maximum 10-year period
• Change in AFIT's Senior Leadership:
  
  • AFIT’s first civilian Director and Chancellor, Dr. Todd Stewart, retired after 9 years in the leadership position
  • Dr. Walter Jones officially became AFIT’s new Director and second Chancellor in an acceptance-of-leadership ceremony July 27
  • Dr. Heidi Ries was selected as Provost and Chief Academic Officer, responsible for overseeing and ensuring the highest standards of academic quality in both graduate and professional continuing education instruction and research
  • Col. Paul Harmer took command as the AFIT Director of Staff and Air University Detachment 1 Commander
  • From student to first female Dean - Col Laurie Richter returned to AFIT to lead the Civil Engineer School
• New programs and courses were included:
  • The Graduate School of Engineering and Management offered a non-thesis MS degree program to USAFA grads awaiting pilot training
  • The School of Strategic Force Studies launched a new course on Cyberspace Operations Fundamentals (Cyber 190)
  • The Joint Staff J7 re-accredited the School of Strategic Force Studies' Cyber 200 & 300 for 3-years
  • The School of Strategic Force Studies’ Nuclear Certified Equipment (NCE) Users distance learning course was approved by Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
  • The Graduate School of Engineering and Management graduated 30 students in the first offering of the new Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Certificate program
  • A group of 27 students were the first to earn the new on-line Data Analytics certificate
• Jason Young was the first student to earn a perfect score in AFIT's Nuclear Concepts and Insights course

2020

• AFIT continued to provide premier education and support during the global COVID-19 pandemic: 
  • AFIT students developed a dashboard to track COVID-19 cases around military installations
  • AFIT partnered with AFRL to develop models for COVID-19 decision-making
  • AFIT used 3D printing to develop N95 face shields
  • AFIT’s CSRA achieved historic milestones with DL classes and international student internship during COVID-19 constraints
• Select AFIT faculty and students began transferring from the Air Force to the Space Force
• New courses and programs included the Graduate School's data analytics certificate program and online certificate in Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and the Civil Engineer School's Basic Civilian Course
• The AFIT/AFRL D’Azzo Research Library earned the 2019 Federal Library of the Year Award
• Sandia National Labs hosted their first AFIT Education with Industry (EWI) Fellow
• AFIT's CSRA SkyPad team delivered a space-ready mission in less than six months to demonstrate star tracking and high performance on-board processing using commercial cameras and graphic processing units
• Taylor Flaxington was the first AFIT student to graduate with an all-female thesis team

2019

• AFIT celebrated 100 years of defense-focused education with the theme "A Century of Education Excellence: Inspiration to Innovation" 
  • AFIT hosted a Centennial Day with alumni, special speakers, and astronauts to highlight its 100 year evolution
  • AFIT alumni, faculty and staff were honored for outstanding career achievements
  • AFIT kicked off its centennial anniversary celebration with the USAF Chief Scientist Dr. Richard Joseph as the keynote speaker
• AFIT was re-designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research
• The Civil Engineering School hosted the largest annual gathering of Air Force Civil Engineers
• The School of Strategic Force Studies hosted a Multi-Domain Operations Joint Working Group to define the implementation plan for integrating MDO concepts into education and training in the Air Force
• The Civilian Institutions Program hosted the first-ever Education with Industry Logistics Summit
• The Graduate School of Engineering and Management selected its first permanent senior military faculty member
• AFIT entered the category of High Research Activity for a doctoral university from the 2018 update of the Carnegie Classification.  AFIT is the only DoD academic institution to hold this specific categorization
• U.S. Coast Guard ‘Coastie’ is first to study at AFIT in 15 years

2018

• AFIT partnered with the Army to establish the first distance learning program for PNT expertise
• The School of Systems and Logistics hosted the first ever System Theoretic Process Analysis Cybersecurity and Safety Technical Interchange Meeting
• AFIT welcomed Colonel Thomas H. Brown, Jr. as the new director of the Civilian Institution Programs
• The Graduate School of Engineering and Management’s Master of Science degree in Logistics was listed in the Top 10 Online Master’s in Supply Chain Management programs by BestColleges.com
• The October 2018 edition of the Defense Acquisition Research Journal was a special AFIT edition comprised solely of articles authored by AFIT Cost Analysis students
• AFIT renewed their Memorandum of Understanding with AFRL formalizing a strategic partnership to advance the technological superiority of the Air Force

2017

• The Graduate school unveiled a new additive manufacturing 3D metal printer and hosted a symposium focusing on the future of additive manufacturing
• AFIT offered a new program to support the systems engineering acquisition workforce
• AFIT Began Preparation for HLC Reaffirmation of Accreditation in 2020 and developed a major Quality Initiative Project to demonstrate the institution's commitment to continuous improvement.
• Dayton Daily News highlighted AFIT's cyber warfare contribution
• AFIT alum, with AFIT faculty collaborators, awarded a patent for "Stereoscopic 3-D Presentation for Air Traffic Control Digital Displays" (U.S. Patent Number 9,667,947)
• AFIT alum selected as AFRL Commander

2016

• AFIT established its newest school - the School of Strategic Force Studies (AFIT/EX) - through a realignment of two existing Air University units:  The National Security Space Institute (NSSI), located at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs, CO and The Air Force Nuclear College, located at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM.  With the establishment of this new school, AFIT became the home for both graduate degree education and professional continuing education related to nuclear, space and cyber operations.
• Two patents were awarded to AFIT faculty and alumni
• The inaugural class of the School for Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies graduated Sept. 7, 2016, at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
• Dr. James Petrosky and Lt Col James Fee were appointed as AFTAC Endowed Term Chairs
• Major Christina Rusnock was selected for the 2015 AETC Officer Educator of the Year Award
• AFIT Hosted Its Largest Group of STEM Students for National Engineers Week
• Two AFIT faculty members and 4 alumni were winners in the 2016 Air Force Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Awards program

 2015

• AFIT begins new School for Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies (SANDS)
• Air University's National Security Space Institute and Nuclear College professional continuing education programs transfer to AFIT
• Professor Dr. Richard Martin won the 2014 Air Force Outstanding Science and Engineering Educator Award
• The NSA and Department of Homeland Security renewed the designation of AFIT as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research

 2014

• Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James visited AFIT
• AF Chief Scientist, Dr. Mica Endsley visited AFIT
• Associate Professor Dr. Peter Collins was presented with the 2013 Harold Brown award for his research on weapons systems survivability
• MSG Jeffrey Morris, USA, became the first enlisted student to earn a PhD at AFIT

2013

• The School of Systems and Logistics celebrated its 50th anniversary
• AFIT's first "ALICE" satellite was launched into space to study new carbon nanotube technology
• AFIT's Center for Cyberspace Research was designated as NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations
• AFIT graduates the first students from Singapore

2012

• Dr. Todd Stewart became AFIT’s first civilian director and chancellor
• AFIT entered into its first international collaborative R&D agreement with the Univ of Toledo and Kwangwoon Univ in Seoul, South Korea to study nano-sensors and nano-materials
• Establishment of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Scientific Test & Analysis Techniques in Test and Evaluation Center of Excellence (OSD STAT T&E)

2011

• AFIT and the AF Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence graduated the first ever class of Cyberspace Warriors in two professional development courses for cyberspace professionals
• Secretary of the Air Force, Michael B. Donley visited AFIT
• The Civil Engineer School trained at the Silver Flag Exercise Site at Tyndall AFB to provide hands-on education in force beddown, rapid runway repair, disaster preparedness, services, fire rescue, bare base assets, and command and control
• The School of Systems and Logistics developed 14 courses for the Iraqi Security Forces and Ministry of Defense on logistics, supply chain management, maintenance, readiness, financial management, and project management

What started as a school for select officers has grown into a premier educational institution for both officer and enlisted students, international students, Department of Defense civilians, and members of all branches of the armed services.  However, some things never change.  We continue to stress excellence in education and research to move AFIT through the twenty-first century, retaining its flexibility and resourcefulness in accomplishing its mission; just as it has done since its inception 102 years ago.

CHANGING NAMES FOR A GROWING INSTITUTE

1919-1920:  Air School of Application
1920-1926:  Air Service Engineering School
1926-1941:  Air Corps Engineering School
1944-1945:  Army Air Forces Engineering School 
1945-1947:  Army Air Forces Institute of Technology 
1947-1948:  Air Force Institute of Technology 
1948-1955:  United States Air Force Institute of Technology 
1955-1956:  Institute of Technology, USAF
1956-1959:  Air Force Institute of Technology
1959-1962:  Institute of Technology
1962-Present:  Air Force Institute of Technology