The purpose of the visit was to reinforce relationships and discuss priorities, initiatives, and opportunities for collaboration between the two institutions.
 

Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre, USAFA dean of faculty, along with several department heads from USAFA’s engineering division met with AFIT counterparts to better understand and prepare cadets for AFIT’s graduate program as well as discuss current and future collaboration efforts.  
 

The group also toured laboratories and learned about student research projects. During the tour, AFIT faculty and staff introduced Letendre to AFIT’s capabilities to perform satellite environmental testing, as well as additive manufacturing for a variety of aerospace applications. AFIT’s space-related graduate programs and world-class design, test, and fabrication capabilities will likely serve a key role in the education of future U.S. Space Force Guardians following their undergraduate programs at institutions such as USAFA.
 

USAFA, located in Colorado Springs, Colo., provides undergraduate education to Air Force officer cadets and is a natural partner with AFIT’s role as the Air Force’s graduate school of engineering and management as well as its institution for technical professional continuing education.
 

Annually, approximately 30 USAFA alumni attend AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management as their first assignment following graduation.

 

Mr. Chris Lomanno, research engineer, discusses AFIT’s vibration table with Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre, dean of faculty, USAFA.  AFIT’s Center for Space Research and Assurance focuses on the evolution of defense and intelligence missions in space. (U.S. Air Force photo by Katie Scott)
 

 

Capt. Aron Wing discusses his research on modeling high speed pin-on-disk experiment with Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre, dean of faculty, USAFA. Capt. Wing graduated from AFIT in 2021 with a master’s of science degree in applied mathematics. (U.S. Air Force photo by Katie Scott)