North Carolina's Elizabeth City State University Appoints Titus Sanders to Lead New School of Aviation

North Carolina, USA – Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) has appointed Titus Sanders as the first Executive Director of its newly established School of Aviation, effective August 31, 2026, following an academic restructuring under the university’s ASCEND 2030 strategic plan. The appointment adds aviation, airline and collegiate training leadership as ECSU approaches 500 aviation students and develops a multi-location flight training network across North Carolina.

• Sanders joins the School of Aviation leadership role with more than 4,000 flight hours accumulated by his 2023 retirement from the U.S. Army, including approximately 1,500 combat hours. His military qualifications included the UH-60A/L/M, RC-12D/P/X, MC-12S/W, C-12V and UC-35A/B.
• He continues to serve as a Boeing 777 First Officer with United Airlines and is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP).
• Sanders previously led Tuskegee University’s Department of Aviation Science, where ECSU states that he launched the Aviation Science B.S. programme, which produced 22 pilots in its inaugural year, introduced a B.S. in Aviation Management and secured FAA Part 141 Provisional Pilot School Certification.
• ECSU’s aviation enrolment has increased from 152 students in 2021 to nearly 500 in 2026. The university describes the programme as the largest HBCU aviation programme by student enrolment.
• The university is simultaneously developing a statewide aviation training network. Flight operations at Currituck Regional Airport were scheduled to begin in August 2026, while a Statesville expansion forms part of a planned five-hub network supported by a proposed $12 million investment programme.
• ECSU has also secured $3.9 million toward its next aircraft acquisition and is evaluating manufacturer proposals as it expands aircraft capacity alongside student enrolment and additional training locations.
• In January 2026, ECSU purchased a 2018 Garmin G1000-equipped Cessna 172, which the university described as its 20th C172.
• ECSU’s published simulation equipment includes three Redbird full-motion simulators, one Frasca flight simulator and multiple desktop training devices.
• The university’s flight education pathway is FAA approved and its Aviation Science programme is AABI accredited. Airline career partnerships include United Aviate and Delta Propel, alongside pathways involving Endeavor Air and PSA Airlines.
• AFM previously reported that ECSU was among the first HBCUs participating in United Airlines’ Aviate pilot career development programme, alongside Hampton University and later Delaware State University. 

Statements

• “Our vision for the new School of Aviation extends beyond the classroom, the campus, the state of North Carolina, and the globe. The School of Aviation will educate the next generation of aviation professionals while also serving as a catalyst for workforce development and economic growth throughout northeastern North Carolina, the state, and the nation in meeting this employment demand. Expanding on being the largest student enrolled aviation program of any HBCU, Mr. Sanders brings the experience, relationships, and entrepreneurial leadership necessary to help us position ECSU to be a premier aviation program in the US,” said S. Keith Hargrove, Chancellor of Elizabeth City State University. 

Source: Elizabeth City State University