UTTC Tribal Summit: State and tribal collaboration in materials research

Collaboration is coming up as a consistent theme at this year’s UTTC Tribal Summit in Bismarck, North Dakota. During an afternoon panel, Surojit Gupta, mechanical engineering professor, spoke to students and faculty about the University of North Dakota’s research projects and their partnership with UTTC.

“We want to work with the entire state to develop new technologies,” said Gupta.

Gupta and the researchers at University of North Dakota are developing materials critical for renewable energy technologies and for worsening weather events — stronger ceramic, foam to clean up oil spills, and cement and plastic made out of soybeans. Gupta’s lab also partners with the engineering program at UTTC for its ASPIRE summer camp and a new research class.

Alexa Azure, a citizen of Standing Rock Sioux Nation and the engineering department chair at UTTC, said the University of North Dakota’s partnership with UTTC provides, “opportunities for collaboration to develop solutions that impact tribal, state and global technologies.”

Buffalo’s Fire is covering the UTTC Tribal Summit and International Powwow live all week.