Missouri S&T will host its second Rural Infrastructure Challenge Summit from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 in the university’s Innovation Forum. 
 
The event, which is funded by the Public Interest Technology University Network (PITUN), is free, and industry professionals, students, faculty members and rural residents are invited to attend. Participants should register at cvent.me/aEQvL3 by Wednesday, Sept. 4. 
 
“For this summit, our focus will be on the design of energy resilience training and technical assistance in rural communities,” says Dr. Casey Canfield, an associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering.  
 
“Rural communities have different needs for energy infrastructure than urban areas,” she says. “We hope to create a space for experts and community members to share the challenges and constraints they see in the real world, while our students can also provide a fresh and energized perspective.” 
 
Canfield says the Missouri Local Training and Resource Center, which is administered by Missouri S&T and led by Dr. Heath Pickerill, is working to develop training on this topic, and this summit will help get the ball rolling in terms of what content to include and what teaching methods to use. 
 
The event will include a “mingle and mentor” fair with a free lunch for attendees to network and learn about career paths, job opportunities, challenges, and potential research collaborations related to rural energy infrastructure.  
 
Afterwards, attendees will discuss and collaborate on ideas related to the summit’s main topic during a workshop session. An S&T senior design class will then take the workshop’s findings and continue on with this work to help support the future training program. 
 
Canfield says she hopes this summit will help raise awareness at Missouri S&T and throughout the region about the field of public interest technology. 
 
As its name suggests, this field is focused on how technology can be designed to best serve the public interest and improve everyday life. 
 
According to the PITUN website, the interdisciplinary field “involves the ability to assess and respond to the core ethical, legal, policy, social, economic and political implications of technology.”  
 
The field covers a broad set of topics, such as housing, health care, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, inclusive educational technology and countless other technologies related to the public interest. 
 
Along with Canfield and Pickerill, other members of the organizing team for the Sept. 13 event include: 

• Dr. Venkat Allada, professor of engineering management and systems engineering and executive director of S&T’s Innovation Ecosystem Design Initiative 
• Dr. Nicole Annis, curriculum and assessment coordinator for the Missouri Local Training and Resource Center 
• Dr. Melody Lo, Steinmeyer Endowed Chair and professor of economics 
• Brandi Richardson, extension engagement specialist for the University of Missouri Extension 
• Dr. Joan Schuman, teaching professor of engineering management and systems engineering 
• Ray Walden, field specialist in community development for the University of Missouri Extension. 

For more information about the workshop, visit sites.mst.edu/pitun/rural-infrastructure-challenge-summit. 

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.