Tennessee Tech hosting three-day conference on transforming lives of those in Appalachia
“Rural Reimagined: A Grand Challenge for Appalachia” will explore the creative uses of technology, science and the arts with the greatest potential to change lives.
Tennessee Tech University is set to host the 48th annual Appalachian Studies Conference on March 20-22, 2025, and event organizers – including several Tech faculty members – are giving the community the chance to get involved.
The conference, billed as “Rural Reimagined: A Grand Challenge for Appalachia,” will explore the creative uses of technology, science and the arts with the greatest potential to transform life in and around the Appalachian region’s rural communities.
Highlights of the event include a keynote address from Tennessee native John Gaventa, now the Director of Research at the University of Sussex’s Institute of Development Studies; a discussion about teaching Affrilachian poetry featuring Zanice Bond and Kristine Yohe alongside Frank X. Walker; a conversation between popular literary authors Neema Avashia and Ann Pancake; a guided hiking tour of Burgess Falls, focusing on the geology and civic significance of its 130-foot cascade waterfall; laboratory demonstrations from Tech’s Water Center and iMakerSpace; and a gallery visit and studio demonstration at Tech’s Appalachian Center for Craft.
To complement the programming lineup, organizers will begin accepting proposals on September 2 for panels, performances and presentations that support the conference theme and enhance audiences’ understanding of the culture, beauty, opportunities and challenges of the Appalachian experience. Proposals will be accepted through October 7 at this link.
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