Originally founded as Christopher Newport College in 1960, the public university in Newport News, Virginia, is now known as Christopher Newport University (CNU). With a student body of around 4,500, CNU embraces a small-school culture. However, due to the continued expansion of its facilities, programs, and clubs, CNU is beginning to fit more into the medium-sized category. While tuition rates at CNU are relatively competitive, the school offers many financial aid opportunities and has been test-optional for more than a decade, making it an accessible choice for students.

In recent years, CNU has introduced several opportunities centered around the drone industry, a growing field across universities worldwide. Although the school does not yet offer a dedicated drone degree program, it incorporates drones and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into existing courses in science and engineering. CNU is also home to a popular student-led organization, the Unmanned Aerial Systems team.

When Ethan Steider enrolled at CNU’s School of Engineering and Computing in the fall of 2022, he joined the UAS team. Fascinated by the world of drones, it was a natural fit. Now entering his senior year while completing his degree in electrical engineering, Ethan serves as captain of the UAS team. Over the past several months, he has led his team in preparing for an international drone competition.

The prestigious Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) Competition was hosted by RoboNation and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. Held at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport in California, Maryland, the event brought together more than 50 collegiate and advanced high school teams from around the world to take on a series of complex autonomous flight challenges.

Teams were required to demonstrate technical skills in waypoint navigation, obstacle avoidance, object detection, and precision payload delivery, all without manual control. With a prize pool exceeding $20,000, the SUAS Competition serves as a proving ground for future aerospace and robotics innovators, offering students a practical opportunity to apply engineering principles in a real-world, high-stakes setting.

The top prize of $3,000 was awarded to Team Arrow from the Institute of Technology, Nirma University in India. While CNU did not place, Ethan emphasized that winning was never the primary goal. “The most important part is that it’s a fun learning process,” he said. “We are able to apply concepts from classes to real life.” Ethan, his teammates, and faculty advisor Dr. Anton Riedl, Associate Professor and Head of the School of Engineering and Computing, are particularly excited about the new drone lab under construction at CNU.

Currently, the UAS team operates out of a lab in Luter Hall and uses outdoor areas for flight practice. In 2023, CNU began an ambitious expansion project to create a state-of-the-art facility called the Science and Engineering Research Center (SERC), an addition to Luter Hall. The 74,275 sq ft addition will include a 100-seat demonstration classroom for physics, chemistry, and engineering, kinesiology labs, biomechanics facilities, maker spaces, and a variety of classrooms and research labs to support STEM disciplines. Additionally, SERC will feature a two-story drone lab equipped with “cutting-edge technology and is designed to be a hub of innovation and progress, for both students and the community to develop and test UAS and other robotics,” according to the university.

SERC is slated for completion in the spring of 2026, just before Ethan graduates. Although he will have only a short time to use the new drone lab, he has already gained a tremendous amount of experience through his involvement with the UAS team. He hopes future CNU students will have even more opportunities to pursue careers in a field he finds deeply rewarding. Both Ethan and Dr. Riedl share a belief in the value of the UAS team and the opportunities the new drone lab will provide.

“The UAS team is a great example of how hands-on experience and interdisciplinary teamwork can prepare students for success in rapidly evolving fields,” Dr. Riedl said. “The new drone lab will not only enhance the students’ technical skills but will also provide a space to innovate, experiment, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in unmanned aerial systems.” As CNU continues to invest in cutting-edge facilities and experiential learning, students like Ethan are helping to shape a future where education, innovation, and passion for technology take flight.

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