Rural Reimagined

The State Department of Tennessee and the Census maintains their own definition, which can be found here. This definition is helpful to use when aligning a project or research with the State and the Census; however, some feel that the census overcounts the population.

The USDA Office of Management and Budget (OMB) definition can be helpful when overcounting the population can be worrisome. The OMB definition can be found here.

Another option is the US Health Resources & Services Administration (HSRA), which bridges the gap between the OMB definition (which some feel undercounts the population) and the Census, which can be found here.

At-Risk, Distressed, or Transitional? 

A good resource for understanding a county of interest’s economic outlook (distressed, at-risk, transitional) can be found on the following TN dashboard: https://www.tn.gov/transparenttn/state-financial-overview/open-ecd/openecd/tnecd-performance-metrics/openecd-long-term-objectives-quick-stats/distressed-counties.html.

Primary and Secondary Data Sources

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) develops and maintains data, and the ARC footprint and data can be found here: https://www.arc.gov/map/county-economic-status-in-appalachia-fy-2021/.

STATSAMERICA provides many data tools from a regional perspective, which can be found here: https://www.statsamerica.org/ii2/overview.aspx.

Funding Agency: Water Center

Principal Investigators: Dr. Holly Stretz and Dr. Jeff Schaeffer

Abstract: Hatchery managers in Tennessee can be faced with nitrogen supersaturation and low dissolved oxygen concentrations in their water sources. We designed a dual-mode inexpensive device to efficiently absorb oxygen into fishery source water (to promote fish health) while simultaneously stripping nitrogen (N2) (a significant cause of fish mortality). Most currently available devices are designed specifically for only one of these operations. We built it using principles of engineering mass transfer and designed it specifically for the needs of Buffalo Springs Fish Hatchery in East Tennessee. Although field tests have not been completed, initial results indicate that the diffuser achieves both nitrogen stripping and very happy Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss using substantially less oxygen inputs than previous models, it is light and easy to handle, and can be made inexpensively. Our goal to provide hatchery operators with guidance to optimize device performance under varying conditions, and evaluate its utility in a broader range of field conditions. We are especially interested in evaluating performance in situations where oxygenation must be achieved with atmospheric oxygen only and no liquid or concentrated oxygen is available.

Funding Agency: Tennessee Board of Regents 

Award Total: $50,000 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Andrea Arce-Trigatti, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education & Human Sciences. 

Co-Directors: Dr. Stephanie N. Jorgensen (Chemical Engineering), Mr. Michael Aikens (Rural Reimagined), Dr. J. Robby Sanders (Chemical Engineering), Dr. Pedro E. Arce (Chemical Engineering) 

Consultants and Partners: Mr. Carlos Galindo (STEM Center) 

Abstract: The purpose of the Holistic Foundry Undergraduate Engaged Learners (FUEL) program is to provide comprehensive training to Hispanic/Latinx and female populations in engineering that will help them develop learning strategies aligned with those of holistic engineers useful for their academic career through the development of a student-team research project. Holistic engineers are trained within a “cross-disciplinary, whole-systems approach” that emphasize contextualized problem formulation and encourage innovative solutions to complex social challenges (Grasso et al., 2010, p. 28). In most traditional engineering undergraduate programs, this connection between problem solving and service to humanity in addressing complex social challenges is absent, leading those in Hispanic/Latinx and female populations to feel isolated, unmotivated, and unassociated with the societal meaning and community concept of engineering (Harper, 2009; Wilson-Kennedy et al., 2018; Zagumny et al., 2017).  

The FUEL program uses the Renaissance Foundry Model (Arce et al., 2015) – an innovation-driven learning platform - as the core pedagogical platform coupled with the social networks of the Rural Reimagined Grand Challenge initiative at Tennessee Tech to allow students to transform learning to align with skills of holistic engineers. The program objectives also align with the University’s Rural Reimagined Grand Challenge, with the expectation that the research projects will have ties to several of the hometowns of the participants (Pearson, 2019). Further, FUEL training is paired with opportunities that holistic engineers would encounter (e.g., Rural Reimagined partner connections) as well as outreach opportunities that are beneficial to their overall holistic development in the field (e.g., Science Olympiad Collegiate Scholars program). FUEL students are envisioned to become more engaged, holistic engineers dedicated to identifying and answering complex social, cultural, and economic equity-based challenges that are facing our region. 

Rural Reimagined Newsroom: https://www.tntech.edu/grand-challenge/news/articles/20200804-fuelgrant.php

Funding Agency: U.S. Dept. Of Energy (DOE)

Award Total: $779,823 from DOE for 3 years, with additional $779,863 cost share from project team

Principal Investigator: Dr. Pingen Chen

Co-PIs: Prof. Vahid Motevalli, Prof. Stephen Canfield, Prof. Olorunfemi Ojo, and Prof. Indranil Bhattacharya, Tennessee Technological University

Abstract: Electric vehicles (EVs) are promising solutions for rural mobility due to the lower fuel cost and lower maintenance cost. Rural areas and associated urban clusters in the U.S. are facing numerous challenges in adopting EVs and developing EV charging station networks due to low population density, lack of EV charging infrastructures, none to limited experience, and low consumer awareness. This proposal will create a proof-of-concept demonstration testbed for EVs and fueling infrastructures in Upper Cumberland region in Tennessee, which is a representative rural and economically distressed region, to provide the experience, research, demonstration and educational opportunities needed to address EV adoption issues. Comprehensive data from a small EV fleet, installed charging stations, and EV users/adopters will be collected and analyzed to report the operation cost, issues and performance of EV to help potential fleet owners and the public at large make informed decisions in EV adoption for rural areas before making significant financial investment. The DOE impacts of this project include: 1) potentially achieving adoption of EVs by rural vehicle fleets and communities. 2) Reducing transportation cost, fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and improving the fuel diversity, environmental quality and public health in rural areas thorough EV adoption; 3) Enabling smooth and long-distance intercity transportation of goods and people with rural EV charging infrastructure; 4) helping Tennessee’s corridor development initiatives and potentially boosting the economic development in the rural areas; 5) Facilitating collaborative opportunities between universities, automotive EV OEM, and EV charging station suppliers, DOE designated clean city coalitions, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for future EV research and development, outreach, and training of next-generation automotive engineers in EV area. The project will be conducted by a multi-disciplinary project team with strong public-private partnerships that consists of broad stakeholders including Tennessee Tech University, The University of Texas at Austin, Nissan North America, Phoenix Motorcars, East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, Seven States Power Corporation, ChargePoint, Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency, Lyft and ORNL. 

Rural Reimagined Newsroom: 
https://www.tntech.edu/news/releases/19-20/electric-vehicle-research.php

Agency Press Release: 
http://www.tncleanfuels.org/2020/07/27/tennessee-tech-unveils-new-dcfc-unit-in-cookeville-as-part-of-ev-testbed-project/

Funding Agency: Tennessee Rural Communications Cooperatives Association 

Award Total: $63,285 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Ferdinand Gabriel DiFurio 

Co-PIs: Dr. Yolunda Nabors 

Abstract: The TN Rural Communications Cooperatives partnered with Tennessee Tech University to conduct an economic impact analysis of a broadband expansion project in Tennessee. Broadband access that meets established standards is considered by many to be a necessary condition for technological advance and economic growth in modern day times. 

Using REMI Policy Insight, state-level impacts were calculated for three different cost periods to obtain forecasts for the time frame 2020-2036.[1] The cost periods consisted of seven, five, and three year project windows, and provide an analysis on the magnitude and longevity of the impacts. 

Economic impacts were obtained for employment, state gross domestic product, and state output. Additionally, these impacts were disaggregated by sector and occupation to identify the most impacted areas of the state’s economy. The results indicated that the impacts associated with a state-wide broadband expansion project are realized in a diverse range of industries. And while it is clear that broadband expansion creates jobs and increases business and commerce, it represents technological progress that is vital to a growing economy. 

Funding Agency: Economic Development Administration 

Award Total: $300,000 

Principal Investigator: Michael Aikens, MPS. Research & Economic Development

The TCRI CARES project will respond to economic injury as a result of coronavirus in the rural Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. We will help our service area’s small businesses recover and thrive throughout the pandemic and beyond through a comprehensive approach to technical assistance, student internships, commercialization and entrepreneurship support, applied research, community workforce talent support, and outreach and engagement initiatives. Successful project outcomes will result in helping 200 businesses, broadcasting 50 interactive community Zoom calls, 20 student internships, and producing a monthly PBS television series. 

Rural Reimagined Newsroom: 
https://www.tntech.edu/grand-challenge/news/articles/20200710-tcricaresgrantannouncement.php

Agency Press Release: 
https://www.eda.gov/news/press-releases/2020/07/10/cookeville-tn.html

• Upper Cumberland Development District Informatics Data Repository

• Tennessee State Government Rural Economic Dashboard (interactive data sets and visualizations)
• Tennessee State Government Rural Taskforce
• Appalachian Regional Commission: Tennessee Website
• Appalachian Regional Commission: Distressed Counties Interactive Map
• Tennessee Economic and Community Development Opportunity Zones
• Tennessee Economic and Community Development Broadband Initiative
• Tennessee Economic Data (Commute Patterns, Demographics, and Labor Force Statistics)
• Tennessee Educator Surveys, Profile & Demographic Information, and State Assessments
• Tennessee County Drug Overdose data
• Tennessee County School Data
• Tennessee Rural Hospital Information
• COVID-19
  
  • Tennessee COVID-19 Data Dashboards and Reporting
  • Center on Rural Innovation COVID Maps and Visualization Tools (national and local)

• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Regional Economic Status Maps
• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) 95 county economic status 2020
• United States Census data
• Center on Rural Innovation: 400 datasets including maps, surveys and statistics

• "The History and Future of Rural America" (PDF)
• "Economic Resilience in Rural Regions: Literature Review on Strategies for Developing Economic Resilience" (PDF)