Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) recognizes five NIAR employees who recently completed the Executive MBA program offered by the Barton School of Business. Included among this semester’s eMBA graduates are: 

• Jayme Buzard, associate director, Full Scale Structural Test
• Kevin Kelly, senior research engineer, Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel
• Aswini Kona Ravi, engineer, Advanced Virtual Engineering & Testing
• Matt Tomblin, director, Automatic Research Center
• Kyle Tubbs, program manager, Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems  

The classes required students to meet in person one Saturday per month for 18 months and attend two virtual evening classes per month.  

“That kept the time away from home to a minimum, but then I had the flexibility to schedule time with my group as needed each week,” said Buzard. “Between work, family and school, I had to learn to rely on my team and their strengths to be the most successful.” 

The program combines academic instruction with applied industry involvement experiences. 

“The program was structured around experienced students who know what their goals were,” said Kelly. “There were always plenty of supplemental learning resources if a topic was of particular interest or you had to fall behind in class to keep up at work or at home.”  

Students in the program joined a diverse cohort of business professionals from different industries and backgrounds, opening their eyes to how other departments of a business coordinate. 

“Working through the eMBA program alongside professionals from so many different industries really showed me how important perspective is when it comes to problem-solving and decision-making,” said Kona Ravi. “I initially focused more on the engineering side of things, but the program helped me understand how business decisions are made more broadly across an organization.” 

“My next step is to apply what I have learned in my work at NIAR,” she said. “I also look forward to continuing to grow into larger leadership responsibilities over time while staying connected to the network and relationships built during the program.” 

Kelly said the program built on his established business experience at NIAR. 

“Most of what we brought to this program was a set of relevant past work experiences, or better yet, current problems to work through,” said Kelly. “There are never enough case studies to lock in all the learning that an abbreviated program like this exposes you to, but the real experience scenarios shared amongst classmates made for great camaraderie and robust learning.”

Learn more about the Barton School of Business Executive MBA program: https://www.wichita.edu/academics/business/emba/ 

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About NIAR

The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University provides research, testing, certification and training services support the aviation, defense and advanced manufacturing industries. NIAR’s mission is to strengthen university research capabilities; provide applied learning opportunities for students; and support the aviation and manufacturing industries – while driving innovation and prosperity for the community, region and state. Established in 1985, NIAR has a $400 million annual budget, 2,100 personnel and over 2 million square feet of laboratory and office space in six locations across Wichita, Kan., and one in Huntsville, Ala.