Tuskegee University has long offered an accredited aerospace engineering program with research in experimental aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, and drone control systems. Other historically Black colleges and universities are now introducing innovations in these fields.
In November 2025, Morgan State University hosted competitions featuring drones operated through brain-computer interfaces.
The inaugural HBCU Brain Drone Race allowed participants to control drones using brainwaves, combining neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and innovation. The Human–AI eXperience Lab, in collaboration with the Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems, hosted the race. In this competition, participants flew drones using only their minds. The event was led by the Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems in the Computer Science Department.
Drones have an established presence at HBCUs.
Central State University offers annual summer workshops that integrate drone operations with geographic information systems, remote sensing, and AI for agricultural and environmental monitoring. Last summer, Central State University Extension joined Wilberforce University for a week-long drone camp.
The week-long camp offered hands-on training with unmanned aerial systems, providing 16 - 28-year-olds with workforce development for drone-related occupations. Participants gained experience learning to control drones through software, understanding drone use in logistics, practicing emergency response techniques, utilizing drones for geographic data collection, experimenting with AI-powered navigation, capturing aerial imagery, and mastering high-speed aerial maneuvers.
Elizabeth City State University holds statewide authorization for drone research and training, advancing its drone curriculum.
In 2023, Howard University became the first HBCU to lead a five-year, $12 million-per-year program focused on tactical autonomy, including research in artificial intelligence, human-machine teaming, and autonomous drone capabilities.
At North Carolina A&T State University, students developed a drone equipped with thermal imaging and ultraviolet light, while faculty are advancing drone payloads for RF-sensor applications to improve surveillance and spectrum monitoring. The university’s Center of Excellence in Autonomy coordinates fleets of drones and other unmanned vehicles.
Alabama A&M University, in partnership with Sandia National Laboratories, conducts research in imaging, tomographic sensing, and AI-driven drones, supported by a dedicated "AI Cage" for testing.
National defense policy now prioritizes partnerships with HBCUs to advance AI-enabled, autonomous drone technology for military applications. Research includes biodiversity monitoring and the delivery of medical supplies to remote areas.
Collaborations with Amazon Prime Air, Boeing, NASA, and the National Science Foundation provide funding and training for students. HBCU students have earned top prizes at the AAAS Innovation Showcase for designing drones that disinfect environments.
Recently, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) received a $2 million federal appropriation to expand drone testing and operations infrastructure at its remote facilities in Texas.
University President Heather Wilson, U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzales, and UTEP Aerospace Center Executive Director Shery Welsh toured the Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center.
The funding, a priority for Representative Gonzales, will expand UTEP’s unmanned aerial systems facilities in Fabens and the drone flight test range in Tornillo, including upgrades to radar, electrical systems, technology infrastructure, and equipment. Additional staff and students will be hired to support teaching and research.
In May 2025, the UTEP Aerospace Center secured a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration.
This waiver allows UTEP to conduct fully remote drone operations in an 87-square-mile region of west Texas, without requiring direct line of sight.
As Shery Welsh explained, most drone pilots must keep drones in sight, but BVLOS approval enables UTEP researchers and trainees to test systems over greater distances in real-world conditions.
Only about 12 other U.S. universities hold similar waivers. UTEP’s facilities will also help meet the growing demand for drone training in aerospace, agriculture, computer science, and emergency management.