Texas Woman’s University announced the new head of its Doswell School for Aeronautical Sciences, a brand-new program offered at the institution.

J. Clinton Grant will help the aviation program take flight using his experience as a pilot and the dean of aviation, business, and logistics during his tenure at Tarrant County College.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with his hire. We know he will hit the ground running when he assumes his role as director,” explained O. Finley Graves, TWU’s interim executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aviation technology and avionics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA in business finance from the University of North Texas.

The aviation program was made possible through a $15 million charitable donation in May from the Houston J. and Florence A. Doswell Foundation, as previously covered in The Dallas Express.

“TWU is located in the DFW metroplex, home to two major airlines, and our third campus in Houston, another hub for major airlines, as well as Denton having its own very own airport. It seemed like everything was perfect,” said TWU chancellor Carine Feyten, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.

The program will offer a Federal Aviation Administration-approved curriculum and will seek partnerships with airlines and other companies to help defray the high costs associated with flight training.

“It’s very expensive, not just to obtain a bachelor’s degree but also to obtain that flight training that can run anywhere from $60,000 to $80,000, to upwards of $100,000 in addition to tuition and fees,” said Kimberly Russell, TWU’s vice president of university advancement, according to NBC 5.

Once formally trained and certified, pilots have a generous salary to look forward to, with the median pay for commercial and airline pilots landing at $148,900 per year in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nonetheless, the need for pilots and more is dire, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The airline industry has been facing a serious pilot shortage in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in U.S. airports losing roughly 25% of their flights.

While he has been working in the academic field since 2000, Grant first started working with major commercial airlines in 1988, holding various positions in aircraft maintenance positions.

“Clint Grant has a wealth of aviation experience that spans both the academic and corporate arenas. His reputation will give the Doswell School instant credibility and put our aeronautical sciences program in a strong position to flourish as it recruits faculty and students and launches its inaugural year,” said Graves, per The Dallas Morning News.

The program is expected to be approved for take-off before next fall.