MIDE currently accounts for 20% of the University of Missouri-Kansas City research expenditures and, as of 2024, has secured more than $60 million in externally awarded grants and contracts. The increase in funding over the years has provided them with more opportunities to showcase their expertise in electromagnetic fields, cybersecurity and robotics.

For Kaitie Butler, a student studying mechanical engineering at UMKC, joining MIDE was a natural progression of her lifelong passion for aerospace and defense. Raised in a family with strong military ties, Butler was drawn to the idea of working in an industry that combined service with her curiosity for the sciences.

“MIDE is the perfect connection between these two worlds,” Butler said. “I am able to invest my skills into furthering national security for our nation and the science and technology field within the global technology base.”

At MIDE, Butler not only found the perfect platform to explore her passions but also a strong mentor who challenges her. She first met Travis Fields, Ph.D., interim director of MIDE, at a seminar.

“He has been a pivotal figure in my journey,” Butler said. “From the moment I joined MIDE, he encouraged me to explore different areas of research. Not all bosses challenge and push you but that needs to happen, especially when you're working with important stuff like we do. But he also is aware and cares about whatever you're going through.”

Fields has influenced numerous students’ research experiences, including Butler's. His leadership goes beyond academic guidance—he challenges students to think critically and prepares them for future careers.

“Students are really the backbone of the research at MIDE,” Fields said. “I'm not the one in the lab anymore. The students are the ones who are getting these experiences they cannot get anywhere else. They are the ones who really make up more than half of our workforce at MIDE. We cannot do this without them.”

Fields’ ability to create a supportive environment for students has led Butler to embrace multiple disciplines within the aerospace industry. Her research ranges from engineering tasks, like wiring autonomous vehicles, to more hands-on tasks, including flight testing and systems design. Her favorite part of working at MIDE is the flight testing, where she gets to directly see her designs come to life by testing them in real-world scenarios that demand quick thinking and adaptability.

“Flight testing includes training internal MIDE members as well as going out in the field and getting our vehicle to fly in certain formations,” Butler said.

She also loves the people she works with.

“I love working for MIDE,” Butler said. “I've worked at a couple of different places, but within MIDE, we have a great culture. We're always building each other up. We're always challenging one another.”

Butler is confident her experiences and connections at MIDE will transform her future career.

“Since we're able to go out and present our research at all these different conferences, I’m able to connect with a lot of different folks in the industry, not just aerospace defense,” she said.

Thanks to her experiences at MIDE, Butler is already making an impact.

“I got an internship through X-Force National Security Innovation Network,” she said. “We actually designed a reconfigurable drone, in collaboration with NSWC Crane, and it was published in an article. I wouldn't have had that experience if it weren't for my position at MIDE and the people who got me here.”

MIDE’s focus on applied research that ensures the work produced not only advances academically, but also delivers real-world solutions is something that also excites Fields.

“My favorite part of working in MIDE is seeing the impact, seeing that we are delivering real things,” Fields said. “We are trying to solve real problems, and we have students who are getting to see the real problems and real threat briefs now going out and having a real impact at these major organizations across the country in defense labs and with major contractors.”

MIDE staff and students get to showcase their expertise by training real operators on how to use advanced systems. Some Air Force operators even travel thousands of miles to come to Kansas City just to be trained by MIDE staff and students on how to use large, unmanned aircrafts.

The impact of MIDE’s work is evident in the high demand for its graduates. Companies from across the country are attending UMKC career fairs to hire MIDE students, recognizing their unique skill sets and preparedness for real-world challenges.

By offering hands-on research opportunities and fostering professional relationships, MIDE is molding the next generation of leaders in defense and technology to contribute to a safer, more innovative future.