Missouri S&T and the University of North Dakota are gearing up to host the 2018 Research and Technology Development Conference (RTD) in Rolla this fall. Conference workshops and demonstrations will focus on three research pillars: remote sensing, visualization and high-performance computing. All three pillars will be represented by experts in the field.

This year’s event will be held Sept. 17-18, in the Havener Center at Missouri S&T and features a wide variety of networking opportunities, workshops and presentations.

“This is an opportunity for industry experts, students and academics who are involved with research and technology to interact with University of Missouri System campuses, other universities in Missouri and the Midwest, and professional groups to learn more about remote sensing, visualization and high-performance computing,” says Missouri S&T Interim Chancellor Chris Maples. “RTD is about networking, learning about technologies, developing new skills, and a collision of ideas with people of similar – or even dissimilar – interests.”

Attendees have the option of selecting a mix of sessions in any of the three focus areas to learn through both hands-on experience and lecture. Topics will include the application of unmanned data gathering platforms, using supercomputers for their research efforts, manipulating large data sets such as genomic data, and different data visualization methods and tools. Each session is presented by one or more experts in these fields. Attendee skill levels can range from beginner to expert.

“This year’s event will be even bigger than the last, with more skill-building workshops, more talented researchers and students coming together, and more of what makes technology and the research community great,” says Jennifer Nixon, RTD planning committee co-chair and a manager in information technology at Missouri S&T. “And the Monday night social will return this year with catering from selected regional chefs, great music and an immersive pyrotechnical experience.”

The conference is free to the first 200 attendees thanks to a partnership with the University of North Dakota, but registration is required to ensure a reserved seat at all of the events. To register for the conference and see all of the speakers, visit rtd2018.mst.edu. The event is hosted by the Research Support Services group in the information technology department at Missouri S&T. For more information, email itrss@mst.edu.