The Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth at NDSU has announced fall speakers for its interdisciplinary workshop on Human Progress and Flourishing. The series is free and open to all members of the NDSU community and the public.

This year, the workshop will feature presentations by renowned visiting scholars and Challey Institute faculty surrounding central themes for the region, including rural economies, resilience and addressing poverty.

“Our workshop embodies the mission of NDSU as a land-grant institution. Top researchers are presenting their solution-focused research in a way that is accessible to the general public and engages undergraduate and graduate students in thinking about ways to address problems facing the region and the world,” said John Bitzan, Menard Family Director of the Challey Institute.

The workshop is scheduled on Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. at Beckwith Recital Hall. The format includes a 40-minute seminar followed by audience questions. Food and refreshments will be served in the Challey School of Music Atrium. If you are unable to attend in person, virtual participation is available through Zoom.

The workshop is offered as a one-credit course for undergraduate and graduate students. The course introduces students to multi-disciplinary ideas and principles of civil discourse. Students do not need to enroll in the course to attend speaker presentations.

The fall speakers include:

Rural Economies

• Sept. 9: Sarah Low, head of the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Topic: rural entrepreneurship
• Sept. 23: Thomas Krumel, Challey Institute Scholar and NDSU assistant professor of economics, Topic: rural economic development

Resilience

• Oct. 7: Noah Dormady, associate professor in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University, Topic: natural disasters and economic resilience
• Oct. 14: Alfredo Roa-Henriquez, Challey Institute Scholar and NDSU assistant professor of logistics, Topic: supply chain resilience

Addressing Poverty

• Nov. 18: Christopher Blattman, Ramalee E. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies at the University of Chicago, Topic: reducing violence and poverty
• Dec. 2: Elizabeth Carlson, Challey Institute Scholar and NDSU assistant professor of political science, Topic: poverty and economic development

The Human Progress and Flourishing Workshop focuses on solutions and policies that contribute to opportunity, innovation and individual and societal flourishing.

The Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth aims to advance understanding in the areas of innovation, trade, institutions and human potential to identify policies and solutions for the betterment of society.

As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens.