ODU's Oktay Baysal Reappointed to State Aerospace Board
June 09, 2016
Oktay Baysal
Oktay Baysal, outgoing dean of Old Dominion University's Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology, has been reappointed to a second two-year term on the Commonwealth of Virginia's Aerospace Advisory Council.
The re-appointment runs until June 30, 2018.
The Aerospace Advisory Council, part of the Virginia Department of Aviation, offers guidance to the governor on policy and funding priorities to promote aerospace and space exploration industry in the Commonwealth.
It also provides the Joint Commission on Technology and Science and the Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Technology and Education input on policy and funding priorities with respect to aerospace economic development, workforce training, educational programs and educational curriculum.
"I am grateful to Governor McAuliffe for the reappointment to the Aerospace Advisory Council," Baysal said.
"Old Dominion University has played a significant role in the growing aerospace industry in Virginia stretching back decades, from our long research and teaching partnership with NASA Langley to our stewardship of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island. As the global competition in this sector becomes more formidable, I am excited for the future of aerospace education, research and economic development in our Commonwealth."
The council is made up of 19 members, four legislative representatives and 15 citizen members. It is charged with suggesting strategies to attract and promote the development of existing aerospace companies, federal agencies and research that contribute to the growth and development of the aerospace sector in the Commonwealth.
In July, Baysal will return to the University's aerospace engineering faculty after 13 years as Batten College dean. Stephanie Adams, the head of the department of engineering education at Virginia Tech, will succeed Baysal as dean.
The Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology promotes the advancement of engineering knowledge, both in creation and dissemination, by providing successful graduates and a continuously improving learning environment to its constituents, while maintaining high ethical, multicultural and global standards.